Faisal Iqbal named as Pakistan A captain

Pakistan's selectors have named a strong 16-man A squad to take on their Australian counterparts in the first one-day match at the Gadaffi Stadium in Lahore, which takes place on September 5.

The squad will be captained by Faisal Iqbal, and includes several fringe members of the Pakistan national side, including the openers Yasir Hameed and Taufeeq Umar.

The fast bowler Mohammad Sami has not been included in the squad as he is currently unwell. He has a minor groin problem and is suffering from a viral infection. The PCB's doctor, Riaz, has advised him rest for ten days.

"Sami's absence is a big setback for us," Salahuddin Ahmed, the chief selector, told The News. "He would have been our main strike bowler. Doctors have advised him rest and he may return for the last few matches of the series."

However, batsmen Hasan Raza and Asim Kamal were overlooked. Ahmed said that Raza would be considered for the four-day matches that follow the one-dayers.

Squad 1 Faisal Iqbal (capt), 2 Taufeeq Umar, 3 Khalid Lateef, 4 Yasir Hameed, 5 Naved Lateef, 6 Sohail Tanvir, 7 Sarfaraz Ahmed (wk), 8 Tahir Khan, 9 Mohammad Khalil, 10 Abdur Rauf, 11 Mohammad Irshad, 12 Shahid Yousuf, 13 Junaid Zia, 14 Najaf Shah, 15 Mansoor Amjad, 16 Riffatullah Mohmand