LAHORE: National selectors handed a huge surprise on Saturday when they named, among a few under-performers, Kamran Akmal and Shoaib Malik, both of whom have been out of international action for around one and a half years, in the 30-member preliminary probables’ list that also includes Saeed Ajmal and Fawad Alam.

Both Kamran and Malik — after featuring in the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy — have been overlooked due to a long string of poor performance in international arena.

But all of a sudden both have been named among the World Cup probables and there is a likelihood that both will make the final 15-member squad.

Talking of domestic performance, the 32-year-old Kamran has done well with the bat in the ongoing Quaid-i-Azam Trophy scoring 709 runs for NBP besides 30 catches behind the stumps.

Malik, who will be 33 come Feb 1, 2015, has not done bad too as all-rounder, accumulated 385 runs and taking 18 wickets for his new employers ZTBL.

At international level however, many believe both the veterans have passed their prime, and so their inclusion in the preliminary squad — mainly on the basis of domestic performance — will raise some serious questions.

If Malik’s last ODI half-century came back even before the last World Cup, in 2009 to be exact, Kamran struck his last fifty-plus knock in May last year against non-Test playing Ireland!

Sarfraz Ahmed doing an excellent job — both as wicket-keeper and gutsy batsman — and Umar Akmal available as back-up gloveman further weaken Kamran’s case.

All-rounder Malik’s case is even more frail. After striking a match-winning 128 against India in September 2009 at Centurion, the player has to date featured in 33 ODIs without even a single half-century (scoring 481 at a measly 18.50)! During these games the part-time off-spinner’s bowling stats were also nowhere near notable (13 wickets at 32.92).

Chief selector Moin Khan, however, had his own view on the preliminary squad selection.

“At the moment, winning or losing aside, Team Pakistan is performing adequately well in all three formats of the game. The belief in the think-tank is that the [World Cup] squad holds immense potential and promise to perform in any conditions,” Moin was quoted as saying.

“The most positive aspect is that some of our foremost proven talents have overcome physical issues and are raring to be given an opportunity to have a tilt at the global honours,” he added.

“In our assessment, by the time the five 50-over games in the UAE against the Black Caps and the away short ODI series against New Zealand as well as the practice games are over in the next two months or thereabouts immediately prior to the mega event, Team Pakistan will be close to hitting its peak.

“For me personally, the 1992 World Cup victory ranks amongst our greatest cricketing achievements. I am positive that the present outfit too has the capacity to replicate that win Down Under.”

If performance in domestic cricket is the prime yardstick for national selection, then there are a few more anomalies.

A notable omission is of opener Imran Farhat whose domestic show is far better when compared with other three openers — Nasir Jamshed, Sharjeel Khan and Sami Aslam — who are in the 30-man party alongside regular openers Hafeez and Ahmed Shehzad.

In the ongoing Quaid-i-Azam Trophy, Nasir has totalled a scanty 124 for NBP in four matches (average 20.66). Similarly, Sharjeel is also going through a lean patch, having aggregated 237 from six matches (21.54). Sami, also of NBP, has 242 runs in five games (30.45).

Imran on the other hand has collected 455 runs in nine matches for HBL (playing SBP in the ongoing Silver League final), cracking one century and three half-centuries in the process.

It’s a dilemma however that Imran, 32, does not hold an attractive ODI record (averaging 30.69 in 58 games with solitary century).

In the middle-order, the selectors have included seasoned campaigner Younis Khan to partner Misbah-ul-Haq alongside youn­g­sters Azhar Ali, Asad Shafiq, Fawad Alam and Umar Akmal.

The 29-year-old Fawad, whose axing from the forthcoming New Zealand ODI series came as a surprise, seems a strong contender for final World Cup selection after a string of fine ODI outings earlier this year. His overall ODI batting record (35 games, 948 runs, average 45.14) also makes him a major candidate.

The fast bowling department contains Moha­mmad Irfan, Junaid Khan and Umar Gul along with Wahab Riaz, Ehsan Adil, Mohammad Talha and Bilawal Bhatti.

In the all-rounders category, T20 captain Shahid Afridi, Anwar Ali, Sohail Tanvir and Malik are available for final selection.

Saeed Ajmal, currently banned by the ICC for an illegal bowling action, is also included in the provisional list.

The suspension of Ajmal, the top-ranked ODI bowler in August, was a huge blow to Pakistan before the World Cup.

However, chief selector Moin Khan hoped Ajmal will be cleared before the spectacle.

“We have included Ajmal in a hope that he will be cleared,” Moin told AFP. “We have been monitoring him during his remedial work.”

Besides Ajmal other spinners in contention are Zulfiqar Babar and young leg-spinner Yasir Shah, who both in Ajmal’s absence fared magnificently against Australia and New Zealand in the recently concluded Test series in the UAE. Raza Hasan, an upcoming left-arm spinner is also included.

Meanwhile, the PCB in a media release stated: “PCB chairman Shaharyar Moha­mmad Khan has approved Pakistan’s 30-member preliminary squad for the World Cup following its recommendation by the Moin-led selection committee.”

The squad will be shortened to 15 for submission to the ICC prior to the Jan 7, 2015 deadline.

AFP adds:

Misbah admitted Ajmal’s suspension was a huge blow.

“Ajmal has been our trump card for the last five six years and his suspension is a big jolt for us,” said Misbah on Saturday. “I am praying that he is cleared before the World Cup.”

Squad:

Mohammad Hafeez, Ahmed Shehzad, Nasir Jamshed, Sharjeel Khan, Sami Aslam, Misbah-ul-Haq, Younis Khan, Asad Shafiq, Azhar Ali, Sohaib Maqsood, Fawad Alam, Haris Sohail, Shoaib Malik, Umar Akmal, Mohammad Irfan, Wahab Riaz, Junaid Khan, Umar Gul, Ehsan Adil, Mohammad Talha, Saeed Ajmal, Zulfiqar Babar, Raza Hasan, Yasir Shah, Shahid Afridi, Anwar Ali, Bilawal Bhatti, Sohail Tanvir, Sarfraz Ahmed, Kamran Akmal.

Published in Dawn December 7th , 2014