Five Pakistan cricketers are unlikely to play the next year's World Cup, according to a report in the Pakistani newspaper The Nation. The five players are Salman Butt, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Asif, Danish Kaneria and Kamran Akmal.
The Nation reported the former Pakistan opening batsman Aftab Gul, now a lawyer, as saying: "The International Cricket Council and [the] Pakistan Cricket Board chairman, Ijaz Butt, have entered into a verbal agreement that these players will not represent the Pakistan team at least till the World Cup. I have this information from the people involved with the game and I am sure that these players will not play even the World Cup.
"Danish Kaneria was omitted in the last minute from the squad that left for UAE for two Tests against South Africa in Dubai and Abu Dhabi and despite being fit, Kamran Akmal was ignored by the selectors and his brother Adnan was chosen to play the Tests."
Salman Butt, Amir and Asif are the subject of ongoing investigations into the Lord's spot-fixing scandal. Gul said: "Tomorrow, we are meeting the ICC people over the teleconference to decide about the possible date [for a hearing]. But honestly, I am not hopeful for these players.
"Please also consider the sequence of the events. Our players were not happy when their interim appeal was dismissed and the ICC is delaying dates for the next hearing and we feel they are deliberately delaying.
Pakistan are scheduled to travel to New Zealand for three Twenty20s, two Tests and six one-day internationals before the World Cup, which is to be played in India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. And if the arrangement as claimed by Gul is reached between
