Pakistan excluded three-time World Cup batsman Mohammad Yousuf from its 15-man squad for next month’s tournament and also delayed naming a captain on Tuesday.
The squad, with seven back from the tragic 2007 World Cup in the Caribbean, featured few surprises with the selectors relying on two specialist spinners, Abdur Rehman and Saeed Ajmal, for the spin-friendly pitches of the sub-continent.
Fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar will lead the four-pronged pace attack, which also includes Umar Gul, Wahab Riaz and Sohail Tanvir, with all-rounder Abdul Razzaq supplementing as a medium pace bowler.
Pakistan’s batting will revolve around the experienced Younis Khan and Misbah-ul-Haq, with wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal and his younger brother Umar strengthening the middle-order.
Also picked were specialist openers Mohammad Hafeez and Ahmed Shehzad. The World Cup captain will be announced later, Pakistan Cricket Board spokesman Nadeem Sarwar said without elaborating.
Pakistan squad: Shahid Afridi, Mohammad Hafeez, Ahmed Shehzad, Kamran Akmal, Younis Khan, Misbah-ul-Haq, Asad Shafiq, Umar Akmal, Abdul Razzaq, Abdur Rehman, Saeed Ajmal, Shoaib Akhtar, Umar Gul, Wahab Riaz, Sohail Tanvir.
