PCB told to omit Kamran, Kaneria from WC squad: sources

Tue, Nov 09 10 10:07 PM

Karachi, Nov 9 (PTI) Pakistan selectors are unlikely to pick experienced wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal and leg-spinner Danish Kaneria in their provisional squad of 30 for the 2011 World Cup in the sub-continent. Sources told PTI that Pakistan Cricket Board has been told in clear terms by the ICC to ensure the two players don''t feature in any national team until the ongoing investigations into the spot fixing allegations against Salman Butt, Muhammad Aamir and Muhammad Asif are completed. The ICC had given a list of players to the PCB making it clear they should not be playing for Pakistan till the investigations are completed, one well-placed source said. "There are clear directives from the ICC that Kamran should not be in the team until further notice," the source said. "Butt and Aamir will also not play in the World Cup," the source added. Pakistan will have to announce its 30-member provisional World Cup squad by November 30. The selectors today also ignored Kamran while picking his younger brother Adnan Akmal to join the Pakistan squad in Dubai for the forthcoming two-Test series against South Africa. The snub to Kamran came after he scored a half century in his last match for National Bank. The selectors had also ignored him for the full series against South Africa although his performance in the one-day series against England was satisfactory. The initial reason given for ignoring Kamran while announcing the one-day and Test squads against South Africa was that was he not 100 per cent fit. But surprisingly the seasoned wicketkeeper-batsman was back in action in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy but ignored for the Tests against South Africa. His replacement Zulqarnain Haider left PCB embarrassed when he fled from the team hotel in Dubai to land in London claiming he had got threats after refusing to cooperate with fixers during the one-day series against South Africa. Kaneria, the most experienced Test bowler, was named in the squad for the two Tests against South Africa but stopped from boarding the flight to Dubai last week by the PCB. "I have still not been given any reason for why they didn''t allow me to go to Dubai," said Kaneria who is also active in domestic cricket. There are also speculation that Muhammad Asif decided to withdraw his appeal against his provisional suspension imposed by the ICC last month because he was made aware of the evidence the ICC ACU has collected against the three suspended players including Butt and Aamir. Sources said that it was because of the spot-fixing allegations against the players in the national team that PCB had been forced to accept terms and conditions of the ICC and agreed to take measures to improve its administration and anti-corruption measures.

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