AKHTAR
LAHORE, Pakistan, CMC:
Fierce fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar and former captain Moin Khan have been omitted from the 17-man Pakistan squad for the tour of the West Indies starting later this month.
Akhtar, 29, who missed Pakistan's tour of India in March-April due to a hamstring injury, was still found lacking on fitness while Mohammad Sami, recuperating from a knee operation, might join the team for the Test series.
Sami was ruled out of the one-day series.
Moin had been picked by the selectors in the provisional squad announced on Saturday but the list was then sent for ratification to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), who decided to exclude him.
The PCB has instead opted for Bazid Khan, a 24-year-old opener who has played two one-dayers so far.
Bazid was in excellent form for Pakistan A during their recent tour of Sri Lanka, scoring 336 runs in three innings, including two centuries and a half-century in the two Tests. The rest of the line-up remains the same.
Off-spinning allrounder Shoaib Malik was also picked for the squad but will miss the first Test as he serves out a one-match ban for deliberately throwing a domestic cricket match last week.
Pakistan play three one-day games on May 18, 21 and 22, before playing two Tests on their tour of the Caribbean starting on May 11.
Inzamam-ul Haq, who has been given an extension as captain until April 2006, will lead the side.
Squad: Inzamam-ul-Haq (captain), Younis Khan (vice-captain), Salman Butt, Shahid Afridi, Yasir Hameed, Bazid Khan, Yousuf Youhana, Asim Kamal, Shoaib Malik, Kamran Akmal, Abdul Razzaq, Rana Naved-ul-Hasan, Shabbir Ahmed, Shahid Nazir, Rao Iftikhar Anjum, Arshad Khan, Danish Kaneria.
