Akmal, Malik to make it to WC squad?

Former captain Shoaib Malik and stumper batsman Kamran Akmal are likely to be included in Pakistan's 2011 World Cup preliminary squad and also in the squad for the ODI series in New Zealand, sources said on Wednesday.

The source said the two players along with spinner Danish Kaneria have submitted the relevant documents, required by the PCB's integrity committee, which is probing the backgrounds of the players in the wake of spot-allegations against Pakistani cricketers.

The two-day meet of the committee will begin on Thursday and is expected to give clearance to both Malik and Akmal.

"There is every likelihood that Kamran and Malik will be cleared by the integrity committee as they have submitted most of the relevant documents about their assets that they were asked to give by the integrity committee," the source said.

The source also said that there was plenty of pressure and demand from the Pakistan team management and national selectors on the committee to give a final answer on the two senior players.

"The integrity committee meeting will be held under the supervision of the Board Chiarman Ijaz Butt. It will interview the three players again tomorrow," he said.

According to sources, Kaneria was not under consideration for the one-day squad but his case was also important as it would decide whether he gets clearance from the Board to go and play in county cricket in 2011.

"The national selectors have also scheduled a two-day meeting on Thursday and Friday to discuss and deliberate upon the two squads. They are keen on having Malik and Kamran in the side and have the backing of coach Waqar Younis and captain Shahid Afridi on the issue," the source said.

The Board's integrity committee has asked the players to submit documents in the wake of spot-fixing allegations. Kamran Akmal said he had done whatever the Board asked him to do.

"I am just keen to play for Pakistan again and I am keeping my fingers crossed. (Hope) the board will allow the selectors to consider me for World Cup selection tomorrow," Kamran said.

The selectors had ignored Akmal from Pakistan's squad for the series against South Africa and New Zealand.

Abdul Qadir resigned due to "lack of independence", dispute over Akhtar's selection

Abdul Qadir resigned as Pakistan cricket team's chief selector due to "lack of independence", and "differences" with coach Intikhab Alam and manager Yawar Saeed regarding fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar's selection.

Speaking exclusively with PakPassion.net, Qadir outlined the various contractual obligations that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) failed to honour after appointing him as chief selector in November 2008.

One of the clauses in his contract stated that he would be involved in selecting the eleven-member playing squad for the matches, but "after signing the contract, I was told that I wouldn't have any say in picking the final XI. I was also ordered to consult the captain and the coach before finalising the squad for any series," he said.

Although Qadir did consider stepping down from his post as soon as he saw the first signs of breach of contract by the PCB, he deemed it inappropriate to resign at that point of time.

"Former Test cricketers had finally been given significant roles in the board, therefore I did not want to be the first one to resign. It was in fact, Javed Miandad's resignation some time later, which made my decision to resign a lot easier," he said.

Qadir finally decided to relinquish his post in June 2009, as according to him, he was not left with any other option but resign.

He disclosed that the spur of his decision was the dispute over the selection of Pakistan maverick fast bowler, Shoaib Akhtar, and that throughout his entire tenure as chief selector, Qadir faced resolute opposition from the team coach and manager regarding Shoaib's selection.

"Intikhab and Yawar were always against Shoaib's inclusion even though they could never come up with a valid reason to support their argument," he revealed.

Qadir also disclosed the real motive behind the PCB designing a challenging fitness test for Pakistan players before selecting the team for the ODI series against Australia in the UAE.

"The coach and the manager specifically designed such a tough fitness test so that Shoaib would fail it and thus, not get selected," he stated.

However, the Rawalpindi Express passed the fitness test, and played the first two matches of the series, before getting dropped for the third ODI.

"As I was in Dubai at that time, I asked the coach about Shoaib's exclusion. Intikhab failed to satisfy me with his vague excuses for the move, so I was able to push for Shoaib's selection in the next two matches," Qadir said.

The issue of Shoaib's selection in Pakistan's Twenty20 World Cup Squad also stirred up a debate amongst the decision-makers. "On the eve of the selection committee's meeting for Pakistan's World Cup squad selection, Intikhab Alam telephoned me and told me not to select Shoaib at any cost" Qadir recalled.

However, when the PCB hastily announced medium pacer Rao Iftikhar Anjum's name as Akhtar's replacement for another tournament, "the selection committee was not taken into confidence regarding Shoaib's eviction and Iftikhar Anjum's subsequent inclusion in the squad," rued Qadir, adding, "We were not even notified of these changes!"

Following these events, Qadir decided against getting on with his role in the prevailing environment in the board.

"My decision to step down was based on principles. I could not allow myself to make further compromises, so I was left with no option but to resign", he concluded. (ANI)

Axe Afridi from captaincy, demands Sarfraz

LAHORE: After suffering sixth consecutive defeat in the T20 internationals, former Pakistan fast bowler Sarfraz Nawaz has demanded major reshuffling in Pakistan team and axe Afridi from captaincy.

Pakistan has lost the third consecutive Twenty20 series in last four months against England, South Africa and New Zealand and Pakistan poor and dismal performance in international circuit continued with no signs of improvement.

Sarfraz has said that “there is no place of Younus Khan in T20 squad and PCB is forcing Younus to play in the T20 format. The decision of opening with Afridi has dismantled the balance of the middle order batting and there was no strategy seen in the last two T20 matches played against New Zealand.”

Shahid Afridi, who was the star performer for Pakistan in last three years in one day internationals and T20s, has lost his form and focus since becoming captain of Pakistan. Pakistan failed to win a single one day series in 2010 and also lost to Australia in semi final of ICC World Twenty20 when they were defending their title.

Afridi failed to impress as captain and cricket fans and experts now demanding to dump Afridi as captain before the start of mega event of ICC World Cup 2011 and appoint either Younus Khan, who won the ICC World Twenty20 in 2009 for Pakistan or Misbah, who was impressive with his captaincy in two match test series against South Africa at UAE last month.

Amir unhappy with info leaks

Suspended Pakistan pacer Mohammad Amir's lawyer said that they will lodge a protest with ICC over the continued leakage of confidential information.

According to Amir's lawyer, Shahid Karim the leaks of statements by Pakistan coach Waqar Younis and team's security manager Khawaja Najam, is damaging his client's image.

On Wednesday, Karim said that it a matter of concern that documents relating to the spot-fixing case are coming out in the media before the hearing.He said: "We have no clue how documents are being leaked. But it surely bothers my client as he thinks he is being portrayed negatively."

"We will lodge a protest with the International Cricket Council (ICC) on this issue and on how can such confidential documents are coming in public."

The statements given by Waqar and Najam to ICC's anti-corruption unit (ACU) was carried in a Pakistan dailyDawn on Tuesday.

According to the newspaper, Waqar said: "I was greatly surprised by Amir's no-ball during the Lord's Test. This was because Amir's front foot stepped over the line by a great distance whereas usually, if anything, Amir tends to bowl from well behind the front-foot line."

"I was so surprised by the delivery that when we went back into the dressing room I asked Amir in Punjabi, What the hell was that?."

"But before Amir had the chance to answer my question, Salman Butt interrupted, saying: ' I told him to come forward and bowl a bouncer'."

Najam in his statement has said: "During the Scotland Yard search of the players' rooms at the team hotel, two police officers found cash in a bag and a small suitcase which they seized. Most of the cash was in the suitcase."

Amir was suspended by ICC in September 2010 along with Salman and Mohammad Asif for their alleged involvement in spot-fixing. All three have denied their involvement in any spot-fixing.

Butt and Asif have separate lawyers preparing for the ICC tribunal hearing to be held in Doha from January 6 to 11.

Afridi unhappy with his bowlers

HAMILTON, NEW ZEALAND // Shahid Afridi lamented his side's impotent bowling display after New Zealand recorded a series-clinching victory yesterday.

The limited-overs captain would have been expecting his seam bowlers to exploit the bowler-friendly conditions at a damp Seddon Park and the portents looked encouraging when Abdul Razzaq had Jesse Ryder caught behind off the first ball of the match.

However, that wicket proved to be the high-water mark for the visitors as the Black Caps racked up a total of 185 for seven.

Afridi, with some justification, would have been disappointed with the contributions of Shoaib Akhtar and Umar Gul, who went at over 10 and 15 an over, respectively. Gul was hit for 24 from one over by Peter McGlashan.

"I'm disappointed from the bowling side," Afridi said. "We didn't bowl well, especially our experienced bowlers and put the ball in the right areas. They played positively and we didn't bowl to our strength which is the yorker."

Martin Guptill and James Franklin capitalised on some wayward bowling, forming a productive partnership for the second wicket that yielded 91 runs.

Scott Styris then made 34, the captain Ross Taylor stroked 30 not out off 40 balls. McGlashan's 26 came off just 13 balls.

In reply, Nathan McCullum raced through the Pakistan middle order to finish with four for 16 from four overs.

The spinner dismissed Younus Khan for three, Asad Shafiq for six, Razzaq for 14 and Gul for nought, then took two catches to provoke the collapse of the Pakistan innings after the tourists had been 68 for one in the eighth over.

Afridi, Waqar doubt Pakistan players: report

KARACHI — Pakistani captain Shahid Afridi, coach Waqar Younis and security manager Khawaja Najam raised serious doubts about three suspended players to the game's governing body, a report said Tuesday.

Dawn newspaper published excerpts of statements given to the International Cricket Council (ICC) over Pakistan's spot-fixing controversy during its recent England tour that saw Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamer suspended.

The statements appear to confirm the three players were in contact with alleged fixer Mazhar Majeed and are likely to impact their case as scheduled to be heard by an ICC tribunal in Doha from January 6-11.

No Pakistani Cricket Board official was reachable for comment Tuesday.

The ICC suspended Butt, Asif and Aamer after British newspaper News of the World claimed several Pakistani players took money to obey orders from Majeed during the team's Lord's Test against England in August.

Scotland Yard raided the Pakistan team's hotel in London and questioned the trio as well as a fourth player Wahab Riaz, who was not suspended.

"During the Scotland Yard search of the players? rooms at the team hotel, two police officers found cash in a bag and a small suitcase which they seized. Most of the cash was in the suitcase," Dawn quoted Najam as saying.

"I asked the police officers to put on record the amount of money they had confiscated and they did so immediately.

"I have retained that note and attached a copy of it which reads as follows: Room No. 714 - 24,300 UAE Dirhams, 29,787 pound sterling, 12,617 US dollars, 10 Australian dollars, 26,015 Pakistani rupees, 350 Canadian dollars and 440 South African rand," said Najam.

Butt, who led Pakistan in the Tests on the England tour after Afridi suddenly retired following the first match, was reportedly staying in room 714.

"While we were there, the police officers asked Salman why he had so much cash in his room and Salman stated: ?It?s for my two sisters, they are getting married, it?s for their dowry?."

Najam further added: "I offered them support and told them to cooperate with the police. From Mohammad Aamer?s room, a Tag Heuer mobile phone and possibly other mobile phones, 5,000 pounds in cash, a few hundred US dollars and a white envelope with 2,500 pounds was recovered."

The security manager, who resigned earlier this month, further claims that he had watched Majeed mingle with Pakistani players since the World Twenty20 in the West Indies.

Dawn quoted Afridi as saying that he "thought" that the three suspended players looked guilty during the police raid on the hotel.

"They told me that they had done nothing wrong, to which I replied: ?If you have done nothing wrong, there is no need to feel guilty.?

"I did not speak to them again after that about the allegations. I was subsequently told by team management that the Metropolitan Police had found 20,000 pounds in Salman?s room in different currencies."

Coach Waqar said a no-ball bowled by Aamer during the Lord's Test surprised him "greatly".

"This was because Aamer?s front foot stepped over the line by a great distance whereas usually, if anything, Aamer tends to bowl from well behind the front footline.

"I was so surprised by the delivery that when we went back into the dressing room at the end of that morning session I said to Aamer in Punjabi, ?What the hell was that??.

"But before Aamer had the chance to answer my question, Salman interrupted from across the dressing room, saying: ?I told him to do it because the batsman was coming on the front foot. I told him to come forward and bowl him a bouncer?."