The future of fast-bowler Wahab Riaz and wicket-keeper Kamran Akmal remains uncertain as both the cricketers are yet to get clearance from the PCB for the Bangladesh tour, which is due to start from November 29.
Published: Nov 20, 2011, 03:57 PM (IST)
Edited: Nov 20, 2011, 03:57 PM (IST)
It is believed that the selectors did not get clearance from the PCB to consider Wahab Riaz (in picture) or Kamran Akmal for the upcoming Bangladesh tour as both were named by agent Mazhar Majeed as to be involved in spot-fixing scandal © Getty Images
Lahore: Nov 20, 2011
The future of fast-bowler Wahab Riaz and wicket-keeper Kamran Akmal remains uncertain as both the cricketers are yet to get clearance from the PCB for the Bangladesh tour, which is due to start from November 29.
Riaz was dropped from the limited-overs leg of the Sri Lanka series while Akmal was overlooked after the World Cup, where Pakistan lost to eventual winners India in the semi-final.
A well-placed source in the board told PTI that the national selectors did not get clearance from the PCB to consider Riaz or Kamran for the coming Bangladesh tour.
“Unofficially after their names were mentioned during the spot-fixing trial in London, it had been decided to keep them on the sidelines until the matter was sorted out with the ICC,” the source said.
During the spot-fixing trial, undercover reporter Mazhar Mahmood told the court that agent Mazhar Majeed boasted that seven players in Pakistan’s national side were fixing matches for him in a hugely lucrative betting scam. The prosecution later mentioned the names of Riaz and Akmal.
Incidentally, both Riaz and Akmal are performing well in the domestic cricket at the moment.
Sources in the PCB said the team would remain unchanged for the Bangladesh tour except for one change in the Test squad that of Riaz.
“During the teleconference held with the approval of the board chairman Zaka Ashraf, it was decided that there would be no major changes in the squad that is presently in UAE for the Sri Lanka series,” another source said.
He said the same Test squad sans left-arm pacer Wahab Riaz will travel to Bangladesh for the two Tests while the same one-day squad will be retained for the Three ODIs and T20 matches in December. (PTI)
