Pakistan announces cricket squad for India tour

ISLAMABAD, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced its two separate national cricket teams for the upcoming limited-overs tour to India, local media reported Monday.

Pakistan team will play two Twenty20 and three One-day International matches during their tour starting from Dec. 22.

The most significant and surprising development was the drop of the country's most famous player Shahid Afridi from the ODI (One- day International) squad.

Boom-boom Afridi was selected only for the Twenty20 squad while all-rounder Abdul Razzaq was not considered for any group.

Misbah ul Haq will lead the ODI team while Muhammad Hafeez will be the skipper of T20 team.

Chief selector Iqbal Qassim announced the team during a press conference at PCB's headquarters at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore.

Replying the questions raised by the media persons, Qasim said that the teams were finalized after consensus besides taking input from the captains of the two formats.

The selection committee also selected three uncapped players who showed wonderful performances in domestic tournaments.

These players include leg-spinner Zulfiqar Babar, the leading wicket taker in the recently concluded President's Trophy, and batsman Haris Sohail, top scorer with 673 runs in five matches in the same tournament, as well as the fast bowler Asad Ali, who was top wicket taker (15 wickets) in the recently concluded domestic T20 championship.

Former captain and right-hand middle order batsman Younis Khan made a surprise comeback into the 50-overs team.

Earlier, the-35-year-old batsman was dropped from the team for the series against Australia in August to September in United Arab Emirates due to his poor performance, making only 167 runs in his 10 matches.

The Pakistan team will depart for India on Dec. 22 and will play the first T20 match in Bangalore three days later. The second T20 match will be held in Ahmedabad on Dec. 27 followed by three ODI matches in Chennai on Dec. 30, in Kolkata on Jan. 3 and in the Indian capital Delhi on Jan. 6.

This will be Pakistan cricket team's first tour to India after 2007. The bilateral cricket ties between the both archrival neighbors were suspended after the 2008 terrorist attacks in Mumbai in which over 150 persons were killed, and India blamed Pakistan origin militants for the attacks.

Sourced: Xinhuanet