— Wahab to return in whites, 4 prospective debuts in waiting
Azhar Ali and Yasir Shah have managed to retain their spots after proving fit for the Pakistan cricket team’s upcoming Sri Lanka challenge while fast bowler Wahab Riaz is also set to make a comeback.
Meanwhile, opening batsman Ahmad Shehzad has once again failed to make the cut for the test squad, despite looking to be in good form during the recently concluded Independence cup in Lahore.
Pakistan will head towards the series with a pace heavy attack, however, the presence of multiple spinners indicates that all five pacers are unlikely to get a shot playing in the series.
The final list of 16 players was announced here on Sunday by chief selector Inzamamul Haq, who said that the decisions had been reached after great deliberation and the due process.
It is worth noting that fitness scares had been looming over the Pakistan team ahead of the vital Sri Lanka series, with ace leg-spinner Yasir Shah failing to pass the test and Azhar Ali being on the side-lines due to a ‘knee injury.’
Speaking about both these players managing to make it back into the team despite earlier reports, Inzamam said that both had been cleared by the doctors and that Yasir had managed to clear his fitness test.
“We told Yasir that he will not be selected if he does not clear the fitness test, even though no bowler has been as successful as Yasir in the Test format, but we had to uphold the standards that were set,” said the chief selector to the presser.
He also confirmed that number three batsman and former captain Azhar Ali had also been cleared by the doctors, after his knee injury was sufficiently healed.
Yasir had been the only player not to clear his fitness test. However, after working with Pakistan’s fielding and fitness coach Grant Luden, he has now managed to achieve the required level of fitness.
Due to coach Mickey Arthur’s strict fitness standards, fresh leggie Shadab Khan had been on call even though Yasir has had great success on the dusty UAE tracks. He is not a part of the team however.
Azhar Ali’s return to health will also elicit a combined sigh of relief from the Pakistan camp, and especially skipper Sarfraz Ahmed, as he leads the team through its rebuilding phase. Azhar will be a key factor in this as he hauls the batting line up devoid of both Misbahul Haq and Younis Khan.
Sarfraz, in a separate press conference, expressed his desire to get off to a winning start and how important it could be for the morale of a team, especially one in Pakistan’s position. He also said that he was glad that the team would be able to rely on the abilities of both Azhar and Yasir. He further stated that he felt they were heading towards the UAE with a balanced squad.
The batting side of things remained precarious as Harris Sohail was set for his test debut, however he has not managed to get back to his previous form since a knee injury forced him out of the team, where he was performing well in limited overs.
Debutant Usman Salahuddin is another promising, yet untested, prospect. The opening pair remained a concern as both Shan Masood and Sami Aslma desperately need to step up to give the team their much needed solid starts.
Sarfraz, who has said that he would try to lead by the example set by Misbahul Haq but on his own terms, seems to be in gear to get the ball rolling for a new Pakistan team. It will, however, be crucial that there are no early hiccups, as this new territory might throw Pakistan cricket into a downward spiral after seven years of relative stability.
