KARACHI: Pakistan selectors have included off-spinner Saeed Ajmal, all-rounder Shoaib Malik, wicketkeeper-batsman Kamran Akmal and injured paceman Junaid Khan in the preliminary short-list of 30 players for the 2015 World Cup.

According to some unofficial reports, the national selectors have included veteran batsman Younis Khan, young leg-spinner Yasir Shah, Ajmal, Malik, Kamran and Junaid have been kept in the probables’ list.

Ajaml’s name, it is believed, will be included if his bowling action is cleared.

The World Cup will be jointly hosted by Australia and New Zealand in February-March. The showpiece begins on Feb 14 with hosts New Zealand taking on 1996 World Cup champions Sri Lanka in Christchurch.

Pakistan, grouped together alongside defending champions India, South Africa, West Indies, Zimbabwe, Ireland and the UAE, will open their campaign in the mega event with match against arch-rivals India in Adelaide on Feb 15.

All the participating countries are required to provide 30 names for their teams by Dec 7 to the International Cricket Council (ICC), the game’s world governing body. These squads will then be trimmed to 15 in January.

Pakistan’s 30-member squad for the World Cup will be announced officially after approval from PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan.

Published in Dawn December 6th , 2014