LAHORE, Nov 15 The national selection committee — while overlooking a few significant players over mysterious reasons — has given final shape to the initial list of 40 World Cup probables besides almost finalising the One-day International team for the upcoming tour of New Zealand, chief selector Mohsin Khan said on Monday.

Pakistan will play two Tests, six ODIs and three Twenty20s on the tour of New Zealand.

The selection committee, headed by Mohsin, was engaged in a six-hour meeting here on Monday before giving shape to the probables' lists.

“We have almost finalised the team for the New Zealand tour about which an announcement will be made after Eid-ul-Azha following the PCB Chairman Ijaz Butt's approval,” Mohsin said after the meeting.

“Furthermore, a list of 40 probables for the World Cup has also been finalised,” the chief selector added.

“We can't disclose any of the lists [New Zealand tour and World Cup] since certain players will require clearance from PCB's integrity committee,” he stated, adding the probables were selected after assessing the players' performance in the ongoing series against South Africa.

Mohsin also said fitness, fielding and PCB's clearance was the primary set of criteria for the selectors to choose or ignore a player.

He denied that Mohammad Yousuf, who had to return home on fitness grounds from Dubai after playing only one One-day International against South Africa, was not fully fit before going there to join the team for the Test series.

“Yousuf received an injury during the tour as he was completely fit when he departed here to join the team for the Test series,” he claimed.

Surprisingly, the selectors have finalised the team for the six ODIs against New Zealand while not paying heed to the two-Test series, which will be held before the ODIs.

Interestingly, the New Zealand tour schedule is quite unusual with the tour starting with three Twenty20 Internationals, followed by two Test matches and then six ODIs.

It is learnt that the three players facing spot-facing allegations — Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif, Mohammad Aamir — were not discussed as their fate depends on the decision of the Michael Beloff-headed ICC tribunal, which will meet in Doha from Jan 6-11 to determine whether the said players are guilty.

The players, who need approval of the Ijaz Butt-headed integrity committee, are wicket-keeper Kamran Akmal and paceman Rana Naved-ul-Hasan.

Zulqarnain Haider, under the media spotlight after abandoning the squad on the eve of the series-deciding ODI against South Africa in Dubai without informing any team official before he flew out to London, was not considered for any of the two assignments.

Labelled as a Test material, Danish Kaneria, who has been made to look like a 'suspect' player by the PCB which stopped him from going to the UAE for the South Africa Test series without giving any proper reason, was also discarded.

However, Shoaib Malik has been selected in the list of World Cup probables. It somehow indicates the PCB has no objection over his inclusion and currently he is just out of the team on his poor on-field show in England.

The board's integrity committee will send the list of 40 World Cup probables to the International Cricket Council (ICC) by Nov 21 for the world governing body's clearance, before signalling the selectors to reduce the list to 30 by Nov 30 for the initial entry for the game's showpiece event.