Selectors call 19 cricketers for trials

Lahore, Dec 6: The national selection committee has summoned 19 cricketers, mostly youngsters who have been doing well during the current cricket season, to appear on trials to be held at the Gaddafi Stadium on Dec 9 at 9:30 a.m.

The players' form and fitness will be scrutinzed by the selectors who are likely to announce the Pakistan team for the second leg of the Australian tour on Dec 15.

The names were announced by Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) ad hoc committee secretary Shafqat Rana. Following are the 19 called for trials:

Imran Nazir, Hasan Raza, Younis Khan, Yasir Arafat, Bayazid Khan, Asim Kamal, Faisal Iqbal, Taufiq Umar, Faisal Naveed, Shahid Nazir, Nadim Iqbal, Sajid Shah, Shoaib Malik, Hasan Adnan, Muhammad Mansoor, Imran Abbas, Muhammad Ramazan, Kabir Khan, and Muhammad Husain.

Interestingly, Imran Nazir, Hasan Raza, Taufeeq Umer, Faisal Iqbal, Yasir Arafat and Shoaib Malik have already been selected to represent Pakistan in next month's Under-19 World Cup to be staged in Sri Lanka. Hasan Raza has been named captain while Imran Nazir has been appointed vice-captain.

Shafqat Rana, to a question about not including Aamir Sohail and Rashid Latif for trials, said: "Both Rashid and Aamir are seasoned Test players. If the selectors need to choose them, they do not need to see them in nets."

Shafqat Rana said that a short-duration camp is likely to be organised to tune the members of the Pakistan team for the important series.