LAHORE: Pakistani selectors on Wednesday dropped faltering wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal from the one-day and Twenty20 squad for this month's tour of the West Indies and rested senior players. The 29-year-old was criticised for dropping crucial catches during the World Cup, where Pakistan lost in the semi-finals to arch rival and host India.
"We have given Kamran Akmal a break because his wicket keeping was not up to the mark during the World Cup," chief selector Mohsin Khan told AFP. Mohammad Salman, 29, will keep wicket in the Twenty20 and one-day matches. Pakistan will play a Twenty20 international, five one-day games and two Tests on the month-long tour, starting from April 18. One-day skipper Shahid Afridi had hinted that senior players would be rested to give younger team members a chance, prompting Younis Khan, Abdul Razzaq and Umar Gul, all part of the World Cup squad, to be left out. Afridi will not be part of the Test team after retiring from the longer version of the game last year. Misbah-ul-Haq will lead Pakistan in the Tests, for which a squad will be announced later.
Squad (T20 and one-day): Shahid Afridi (captain), Mohammad Hafeez, Ahmed Shahzad, Taufiq Umar, Usman Salahuddin, Misbah-ul-Haq, Asad Shafiq, Umar Akmal, Abdur Rehman, Saeed Ajmal, Tanvir Ahmed, Wahab Riaz, Junaid Khan, Hammad Azam, Aizaz Cheema, Mohammad Salman.
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