The Pakistan cricket selection committee on Monday named a 35-man probable list ahead of their tour of England, scheduled for late June this year. Shahid Afridi, Umar Akmal and Ahmed Shehzad remain the notable absentees.
Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief selector Inzamam-ul-Haq made the announcement stating that players had to be chosen keeping in mind their past performances and disciplinary records. The former Pakistan skipper added that Shehzad and Akmal didn't conform to the disciplinary standards.
The 35 players will be set for a month-long training camp, starting May 14, in Kakul, Abbotabad, ahead of their England tour. Pakistan will play four Tests, five one-day internationals and one T20 match.
"Ahmed Shehzad and Umar Akmal have not been included in the training camp taking into view their past disciplinary record," Inzamam was quoted by Press Trust of India as saying in a media conference in Lahore on Monday. "Neither is their discipline good nor their recent performances consistent and impressive.
"We now have to ensure there is no compromise on discipline if we are to move forward. I also call on the media to support us in our decisions," he added.
About Afridi's exclusion from the list, Inzamam stated that they were looking forward to building a new team for the T20Is. "We are looking at building a new team for T20 format but Shahid will be considered later on if necessary," mentioned Inzamam.
Afridi, who captained the Pakistan T20 side in the Asia Cup and the ICC World T20 earlier this year, took the decision sportingly and announced he would work harder to make a comeback. "Appreciate the approach by selection committee. Happy that youngsters are getting a chance [sic]," Afridi tweeted. "I am going to play county cricket this season and will try to prove my fitness & form and make a comeback. [sic]"
Full list of probables for Pakistan:
Batsmen: Muhammad Hafeez - subject to fitness, Sami Aslam, Iftikhar Ahmed, Azhar Ali, Sharjeel Khan, Khurram Manzoor, Shan Masood, Younis Khan, Misbah Ul Haq, Asad Shafiq, Shoaib Malik, Babar Azam, Harris Sohail - subject to fitness, Khalid Latif, Fawad Alam, Akbar Ur Rahman, Asif Zakir.
All-rounders: Anwar Ali, Bilawal Bhatti.
Bowlers: Mohammad Amir, Rahat Ali - subject to fitness, Imran Khan, Sohail Khan, Wahab Riaz, Junaid Khan, Hasan Ali, Yasir Shah, Zulfiqar Babar, Muhammad Ashgar, Imad Wasim - subject to fitness, Bilal Asif, Zohaib Khan.
Wicket keepers: Sarfraz Ahmed, Muhammad Rizwan, Adnan Akmal.
