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Home , Abid Ali (cricketer), Akila Dananjaya, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Imad Wasim, Junaid Khan (cricketer)

Friday 45 Sports Friday, April 19, 2019 leaves Amir out of World Cup preliminary squad Surprise WCup call-up for 19-year-old fast bowler

LAHORE: Pakistan selectors yesterday left out series with a hope that he regains his hail, who played in 2015, as well as , pace spearhead from the pre- rhythm and -taking ability in the series,” who played in 2007, and , liminary 15-man squad for next month’s World said Inzamam. Allrounder Mohammad Hafeez who took part in the 2007 and 2011 tournaments. Cup to be held in England. The 27-year-old has was included in the World Cup squad subject to Pakistan will leave for the UK on Tuesday and been in wretched form since guiding Pakistan to fully recovering from a fractured thumb injury he play three one-day matches against county win in the Champions trophy final in sustained during the teams before taking on England in the five-match June 2017, with just four in 14 matches. (PSL) in February this year. There was a surprise ODI series from May 5. They will play two warm- But the left-arm fast bowler, who missed the World Cup call-up for 19-year-old rookie fast up World Cup games against Afghanistan on 2011 and 2015 World Cup due to a five-year ban bowler Mohammad Hasnain, who bowled at May 24 and on May 26, before taking on imposed in 2010, has a lifeline as 150kph in the PSL earlier this year. on the West Indies in their first World Cup match teams can be changed until May 23 — seven “Hasnain is exciting and can be a surprise in Nottingham on May 31. All ten teams will play days before the ten-team event starts. package of the World Cup,” said Inzamam of the each other in the first stage, with the top four Chief selector Inzamam-ul-Haq said Amir’s paceman, who played three one-day internation- playing the semi-finals. form was concerning. “Amir had not performed als against last month, taking two wick- Squad: Sarfraz Ahmed (), Fakhar as well as was expected of him,” said Inzamam, ets. Sarfraz Ahmed will lead both the squads. Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, , , Haris who was part of Pakistan’s World Cup winning Another left-arm pacer, 29-year-old Junaid Sohail, Shoaib Malik, Mohammad Hafeez (subject team in 1992. Khan, was preferred over Amir. to fitness), , , , : Chief selector Inzamam-ul-Haq ges- Amir is included in the 17-man squad for the Opener Abid Ali, 31, also earned a call-up after , , Shaheen Shah tures as he speaks during the announcement five-match one-day series against England from scoring a debut hundred against Australia. The Afridi, Mohammad Hasnain . of the Pakistani cricket squad for next month’s May 5-19, and can regain his World Cup place if squad is largely comprised of young players, with Two additions for England ODIs: Mohammad ICC World Cup, in Lahore yesterday. — AFP he performs well. “We have included Amir for the only a handful of veterans-Sarfraz and Haris So- Amir and Asif Ali. — AFP Ponting hopes Pant’s S Lanka dump India snub will Chandimal amid benefit Delhi in IPL mass WCup clearout

MUMBAI: Rishabh Pant’s exclusion from India’s World Cup squad COLOMBO: yesterday dumped established stars in- could prove to be a big gain for in the ongoing In- cluding former captain from their one-day team dian Premier League, the franchise’s head coach in a mass clear-out for the World Cup. has said. Dinesh Karthik pipped young Pant to the second wick- One day after announcing that Test skipper Dimuth etkeeper’s spot in India’s World Cup squad, which was announced Karunaratne would be World Cup captain in place of Lasith Ma- on Monday. linga, selectors also axed wicketkeeper-batsman Niroshan Dick- With former captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni the undisputed wella, off-spinner , and openers Danushka first-choice wicketkeeper, India’s selectors preferred Karthik’s ex- Gunathilaka and from the 15-man squad. perience to the raw aggression of the 21-year-old Pant. “I had a Sri Lanka have been riven with personality clashes and disci- quick chat with him (Pant) on Monday night, and he seems to have plinary problems in recent years that have seen their world stand- taken it quite well,” Australia’s former World Cup-winning captain ing slump. Batsman , leg-spinner Jeffrey Ponting told reporters. Vandersay and all-rounders and Jeevan “He is obviously disappointed as he would have loved to be in Mendis got places despite not playing an ODI for more than a the squad as a lot of other players would have as well. But the year. Opening batsman and paceman Nuwan thing with him that he has to remember and we all have to remem- Pradeep were also included in the squad for the tournament which ber is that he is still pretty young. starts in England and Wales on May 30. The 1996 champions kick “He will have the opportunity to potentially play in three or off their campaign against in Cardiff on June 1. four more World Cups over the course of his career.” Famed for Karunaratne and the 35-year-old Mendis last played a 50-over his swashbuckling batting, Pant impressed in the Test series in international at the previous World Cup in 2015. Chief selector England and Australia and is perceived as a long-term replace- Ashantha de Mel said players like Siriwardena, who last played ment for Dhoni when the 37-year-old decides to quit limited- an ODI in 2016, were chosen to provide stability. overs formats. “To balance the side, the batsman coming in at number six has Ponting advised Pant to take the World Cup snub positively to be able to bowl,” de Mel said of Siriwardana, a left-handed and concentrate on scoring heavily for his IPL franchise. “But what batsman and bowler. “We went with someone who has a bit of ex- might be a negative thing for him to not get picked in the Indian perience in that role.” team, might turn out to be a very positive thing for the Delhi Cap- Dananjaya, a mystery spinner who has played 34 ODIs, and itals as he can totally focus on playing his best cricket for us,” Dickwella were axed after their poor showing in the recent tour Ponting said. of South Africa. Kusal Janith Perera will be wicketkeeper and “Like I said a few games ago, he is a match-winner and I’m Rishabh Pant could also be used an opener. sure he will come back strongly to win more matches for us. It is De Mel said is a better spin option than important that he focuses on the little things on the field that make Dananjaya who picked up just two wickets from four games in Sri him a really good player for us. dence for the future as well.” Lanka’s 5-0 drubbing in the one-day series in South Africa. On “There is nothing he can do now to get into that World Cup Pant’s team are currently second in the IPL standings with 10 the pace front, Sri Lanka again opted for experience, omitting team, but he can definitely help the Delhi Capitals win some points from nine matches while champions and Kasun Rajitha in favour of Pradeep matches in the coming days which will help him boost his confi- top the leaderboard with 14 from 10. — Reuters and . —AFP