KARACHI, April 17: Despite winning the one-day series over Bangladesh quite handsomely, Pakistan have opted to play ‘safe’ by not making wholesale changes for Saturday’s otherwise meaningless final game here at the National Stadium.

With senior batsman Younis Khan making himself available after sitting out the third and fourth matches at his own request, the national selectors on Thursday have made just one other change to the Multan ODI squad by bringing in left-arm medium-pacer Wahab Riaz in place of rookie speedster Sohail Khan.

Also retaining his place in the 16-man squad is uncapped batsman Naumanullah. The 32-year-old is tipped to make his international debut in his hometown after spending the best part of his cricketing years on the domestic circuit.

The three-man national selection committee, headed by Salahuddin Ahmed, have now missed a golden opportunity of trying out more players in the same way as they did when 21 players were tried in the 5-0 whitewash of Zimbabwe earlier this year.

The Bangladesh series offered Pakistan their second successive rare chance of infusing new blood in the team while keeping the future assignments in mind (Asia Cup in June-July and the ICC Champions Trophy in September, both being hosted for the first time by Pakistan).

However, the current selectors, who are empowered to not only to pick the squad but also the playing XI in all home internationals, simply refused to take risks with either youngsters or those who have been sidelined.

Salahuddin, while announcing the squad for the first two matches on March 30, has on record said that the selectors would be considering more players for the remainder of the Bangladesh series.

“We will definitely try out more players as the series unfolds,” Salahuddin told Dawn on that occasion. “Players such as Faisal Iqbal, Naumanullah, Yasir Hameed, Kamran Hussain, Yasir Ali and Junaid Zia will be considered when we pick squads for the rest of the series.”

Of the above lot named by the chief selector, only Naumanullah was fortunate to get picked along with the now ‘fit-again’ paceman Mohammad Asif when the squad for the Multan match was named.

While all-rounder Kamran Hussain figured in two matches of the Zimbabwe series, pacer Junaid Zia failed to add to his four one-day caps – which he earned when Bangladesh last toured Pakistan in 2003 at a time when his father Lt Gen Tauqir Zia was PCB chairman – despite being included in the squad for the final game in Sheikhupura.

Batsmen Faisal Iqbal, Yasir Hameed and paceman Yasir Ali, who has hasn’t played for the country since the Multan Test against Bangladesh in September 2003, were not considered for either series.

If anyone has a right to feel hard done by the selectors, it is Faisal. The 26-year-old nephew of Pakistan batting legend Javed Miandad has generally been on picked on ‘trial’ basis, as his 21 Test and 18 ODI appearances indicate, since February 2000.

The point selectors have overtly overlooked in both series against the minnows, is the future of Pakistan cricket. This was the ideal platform to start the rebuilding process ahead of the 2011 World Cup, which is being held in the subcontinent.

Against Zimbabwe, the likes of skipper Shoaib Malik and vice-captain Misbah-ul-Haq played in all five matches while experienced campaigners such as Younis, Mohammad Yousuf and Shahid Afridi took the field four times.

Against the Bangladeshis too, Shoaib, Misbah, Yousuf, Afridi, Kamran Akmal and Salman Butt are all just one game shy of lasting the entire series.

Despite being named in the squad from the start, Sarfraz Ahmed, the talented understudy to regular wicket-keeper Kamran Akmal, is still waiting for his first game against Mohammad Ashraful’s side after making two token appearances against Zimbabwe.

It is unlikely the selectors would want to ‘disturb’ the successful combination Salman and Kamran have formed as openers after young Nasir Jamshed became unavailable following a hand injury prior to the start of the third match in Lahore.

Moreover, the looming prospect of Pakistan chalking up a record 11th consecutive ODI victory on Saturday, may dissuade Salahuddin, Saleem Jaffer and Shafqat Rana from keeping faith with the stalwarts.

Squad: Shoaib Malik (captain), Salman Butt, Kamran Akmal, Younis Khan, Mohammad Yousuf, Misbah-ul-Haq, Bazid Khan, Shahid Afridi, Fawad Alam, Sohail Tanvir, Rao Iftikhar, Mohammad Asif, Umar Gul, Sarfraz Ahmed, Naumanullah, Wahab Riaz.