Pakistan recall Kamal

Agence France-Presse . Lahore

Pakistan’s cricket selectors Tuesday recalled middle-order batsman Asim Kamal in a 22-man training squad for the two-Test series against Sri Lanka later this month.
The 32-year-old left-hander played the last of his 12 Tests against England in 2005 before losing his place due to poor form.
Kamal has been brought back in a bid to fill the huge void in the Pakistan batting line-up left by the absence of batting mainstay Mohammad Yousuf, who last year defected to the unrecognised Indian Cricket League and was subsequently barred from playing for Pakistan.
The Sindh High Court last week suspended the ban, but the Pakistan Cricket Board is due to submit its reasons for the ban before the court on Wednesday.
Chief selector Abdul Qadir said stability in the middle-order was important.
‘We have a good cushion in the middle-order with batsmen like Kamal, Faisal Iqbal and uncapped Saeed Bin Nasir,’ said Qadir, who singled out Kamal as a possible replacement for Yousuf.
Frontline paceman Shoaib Akhtar was ruled out of the series because of an injured knee, while fast bowler Rao Iftikhar was ignored.
‘Iftikhar is a good fast bowler for one-day cricket, but we have depth in our fast bowling for Test matches,’ Qadir said.
Qadir said the squad would be cut down to either 14 or 15 players by February 18 after a short training camp starting in Karachi from February 15.
Sri Lanka, who beat Pakistan 2-1 in a one-day series last month, are returning for a two-match Test series—the first in Pakistan since South Africa played in October 2007.
The first Test begins on February 21 at Karachi, while Lahore will host the second Test from March 1.
The Karachi Test will be Pakistan’s first since playing India at Bangalore in December 2007.
Last year, Australia postponed their scheduled tour to Pakistan due to security fears, leaving Pakistan without a Test in 2008.
Selectors also announced all-rounder Shahid Afridi will lead a Patron’s XI in the two-day side match against Sri Lanka, starting in Karachi on February 17.
Probables: Younus Khan, Salman Butt, Nasir Jamshed, Khurram Manzoor, Shoaib Malik, Misbah-ul-Haq, Faisal Iqbal, Asim Kamal, Fawad Alam, Bazid Khan, Saeed Bin Nasir, Sohail Tanvir, Yasir Arafat, Danish Kaneria, Shahid Afridi, Kamran Akmal, Umar Gul, Mohammad Talha, Sohail Khan, Abdul Rauf, Saeed Ajmal, Sarfraz Ahmed.
Patron’s XI squad: Ahmad Shahzad, Azhar Ali, Bazid Khan, Saeed Bin Nasir, Asim Kamal, Khaqan Arsal, Bilal Khilji, Shahid Afridi (captain), Sarfraz Ahmed, Yasir Shah, Mohammad Khalil, Wahab Riaz, Fahad Masood, Najaf Shah, Azeem Ghumman.