LAHORE, Jan 11: Former Test all-rounder Azhar Mahmood has expressed frustration and confusion after being left out of Pakistan's 2007 World Cup plans. “I'm very frustrated. I've played county cricket and every first-class game (in Pakistan) and they're playing with my career,” he told BBC Sport. “They (selectors) never give me a straight answer. I think someone really has a problem with me.”

Azhar, 31, played last of his 139 One-day Internationals in February 2005. In all, he has 122 ODI wickets at an average of 38.86.

Playing alongside Shoaib Akhtar he took six wickets for Islamabad in the Quaid-i-Azam Trophy Silver League match this week.

In one-day county matches for Surrey last year he claimed 12 wickets at an average of 25.25 and hit 227 runs at 37.83.

Chief of selectors Wasim Bari speaking to BBC Sport denied late changes had been made to the squad, which must be trimmed to 15 by Feb 13.

“Azhar Mahmood has not been a regular in domestic cricket,” he said. “He went to last World Cup in 2003 and did not play. We want to move forward and not backward.”—Agencies