With an eye on World Cup Pakistan overlook Malik and Kamran

KARACHI: Former Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik and misfiring stumper Kamran Akmal on Tuesday paid the price for their poor showing in the World Twenty20 championship as they were overlooked for a national training camp that will serve as a launching pad for next year’s World Cup. The newly-appointed chief selector Moin Khan named 36 players for a summer training camp which will be held from May 6 to June 6 at the National Cricket Academy in Lahore. There was no place for Malik and Kamran in the players’ list, a strong signal that they are out of the selectors’ radar in the lead up to World Cup 2015. Addressing a press conference here at the National Stadium here, he said that the selection committee had chosen 36 players for the camp keeping in mind the series against Sri Lanka and Australia in the later part of this year and the 2015 World Cup. He said they had decided to hold the camp taking advantage of a big gap in the national cricket team’s engagements. He mentioned that this would be the first phase of training. Later a batch of 24 other players would be selected for the second phase, he said. Thus there would be a pool of 60 players for these series as well as the World Cup, said the former Pakistan captain. “Fitness of the players is our priority and we will have zero tolerance for fitness problems,” he said. “The doors are not closed for anyone. There are three formats. Whoever wants to play for Pakistan should come forward and prove their form, fitness and mental toughness and represent Pakistan in world cricket,” he said. Moin conceded that Pakistans players lacked physical fitness and mental toughness. The summer camp would focus on removing these shortcomings which affect Pakistans performances and results he said. Otherwise as far as talent of cricket is concerned Pakistan was not behind any team of the world he said. The committee will resolve the captaincy issue after consultatio he said. He said that a rigorous training programme was being prepared to make the players hundred percent fit and mentally tough to sustain the pressure of important matches in big events. Moin said that the absence of Abdul Razzaq Shoaib Malik and Kamran Akmal did not mean that the selectors did not consider their names. They might be called for the second phase of the camp he said. A hectic season would begin for the team from August and would continue till the end of the World Cup he said. We want to create a pool of at least 60 players who are physically and mentally fit and are in good form for the upcoming international events so that when we need players there are players available he said. Moin said that the second phase would begin after the Eid-ul-Fitr. To a question he said that it was for the first time in Pakistans cricket history that a chief selector would also be the manager of the national cricket team. He said he would not be under pressure due to the heavy workload. He also rejected the impression that the six-member selection committee was too big for the job. Moin said the selection committees assignment was also a big one as they would prepare the team for the World Cup and before that a few important series. The purpose of the six-member selection committee is that they go everywhere to check the players form and fitness he said. Moin said Mohammad Irfan is Pakistans asset and his fitness is gradually getting better. We will use him as per our needs he said. Selection committee member Mohammad Akram said that lack of fitness was the main problem which was hurting the team in important matches We have decided to address it before all important assignments of the national cricket team he said. Later the PCB media department released the list of the 36 players with signatures of selection committee members Moin Khan Shoaib Mohammad Wajahatullah Wasti Ijaz Ahmed Saleem Yousuf and Mohammad Akram. Players list: Openers: Ahmed Shehzad Nasir Jamshed Shan Masood Imran Farhat Yasir Hameed Khurram Manzoor Taufeeq Umar Sharjeel Khan. Middle order: Misbah-ul-Haq Asad Shafiq Younis Khan Umar Akmal Azhar Ali Faisal Iqbal Sohaib Maqsood Haris Sohail Fawad Alam. Allrounders: Shahid Afridi Mohammad Hafeez Anwar Ali Bilawal Bhatti. Spinners: Abdur Rehman Zulfiqar Babar Raza Hasan Atif Maqbool Yasir Shah. Fast bowlers: Umar Gul Mohammad Talha Ehsan Adil Mohammad Irfan Wahab Riaz Rahat Ali Sohail Tanvir Mohammad Sami. Wicketkeepers: Adnan Akmal Sarfaraz Ahmed.