Pakistan drops Shehzad, Akmal on disciplinary grounds

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan dropped Ahmed Shehzad and Umar Akmal on disciplinary grounds on Monday for the series against England. Chief selector Inzamam-ul-Haq said he read a report from previous coach Waqar Younis and also met with all the stakeholders of the national team before making the decision. Opening batsman Shehzad top scored with 372 runs, including three half centuries and a century, which helped Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa to win a domestic one-day tournament — the Pakistan Cup — on Sunday. But Inzamam, who heads the new selection committee, said he will be taking "tough decisions" when it comes to discipline in the team. "It's not about performance in the Pakistan Cup, now we have to be strict on discipline and for that we have to take some serious steps," Inzamam said. Inzamam replaced Haroon Rasheed as chief selector last month as the Pakistan Cricket Board revamped the selection committee after Pakistan won only one of the four group matches at the World Twenty20, against qualifier Bangladesh. Younis stepped down as coach after the World Twenty20 and in his tour report criticized Shehzad and Akmal. Inzamam announced a squad of 35 players, whose fitness will be assessed at Lahore next week before a three-week camp in Abbottabad from May 14-June 4 to finalize the squad for the tour of England. The fitness of several players such as Mohammad Hafeez, Haris Sohail and fast bowler Rahat Ali is in doubt. The selection committee has also rested Shahid Afridi and fast bowler Mohammad Irfan for a one-off T20 against England, with Inzamam saying he would prefer younger players in the shortest format. Afridi also quit as T20 captain after the World Twenty20 but said he wanted to represent Pakistan in T20s as a player. "Over the next 14 months we have to play only six Twenty20s and I think we should give a chance to new players in these matches," Inzamam said. "Afridi will get some rest and could always make a comeback after proving his fitness and giving performance in domestic T20s." Salman Butt will have to wait longer for a return to international cricket after his five-year spot-fixing suspension ended last September as the left-handed opener was not named in the squad. Inzamam said Butt had played only in domestic one-day matches since September and needed to play more four-day matches in domestic first class cricket. "I think he should play one season of four-day matches so that he could make a comeback in a better way," Inzamam said. Pakistan will play four test matches, five one-day internationals and a Twenty20 against England, starting from July 14.