KARACHI: Chief Selector Haroon Rasheed said on Thursday that doors of one-day cricket were open for stalwarts like Younis Khan and Saeed Ajmal if they secured a place in the final XI.
"Younis and Ajmal are players of high calibre and their inclusion among 15 is not justified," Haroon Rasheed said at a news conference here at Karachi Press Club (KPC).
Former Pakistan chief selector Iqbal Qasim and former Pakistan team manager Abdul Raqeeb, Chairman KPC Sports Committee Atiq-ur- Rehman and member Shoaib Jutt were present on the occasion.
He said he had a great respect for players like Younis and Saeed for their grand contribution and they would be selected once they were needed by the team.
He said Younis Khan was an integral part of the Pakistan Test side and if he were fitted in the final eleven for one-day, he could be considered for selection.
Former captain and ace batsman Younis was not considered for the one-day team after the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand earlier this year.
Haroon Rasheed said Saeed Ajmal without any doubt was Pakistan's bowling great. But he was unable to deliver after remodelling his action after reported for suspect action during the Sri Lanka series last year.
"We are closely monitoring Saeed Ajmal for his performances and he has yet to show his class after remodelling his action," he said.
He, however, admitted that due to action problems and reporting of several bowlers for suspect action, Pakistan did not have a quality off-spinner in the domestic circuit.
Commenting on the selection plan for Muhammad Amir, Muhammad Asif and Salman Butt, he said Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had chalked out an extensive rehabilitation programme for the trio. They would have to follow the PCB road-map for their comeback on the domestic circuit.
"Since Asif and Butt have not played any brand of cricket for the last five years, they must first follow the PCB procedures before have any chance of a comeback," he said.
"Once they proved themselves and performed at the domestic circuit they may come in reckoning for selection in Pakistan team."
However, the former Test batsman was of the view that there was a long way to go for the duo to get selection in the national team.
He said forthcoming series against England in the United Arab Emirates would be an important series.
But his and his co-selectors main focus was to prepare a good pool of players for next year's ICC World Twenty20 being in India in March/April, he added.
He said they had prepared different pools of players for different brands like Test, ODI and T20 Internationals.
Haroon said Pakistan got good combination in Test with pool of 24 players and they got 26 players in ODIs and around 30 in T20.
"Only a few can be picked in all brands. But we got players for both T20 and ODIs," he commented.
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