Kaneria, Sami to play Indo-Pak Tests

Lahore:

Leg-spinner Danish Kaneria and fast bowler Mohammed Sami were among the four players Pakistani selectors picked in the 15-member squad on Friday for the three-match Test series against India starting in Delhi November 22.

They and batsman Faisal Iqbal and wicket-keeper Sarfraz Ahmed, apparently selected to stand-by for Kamran Akmal who is struggling with form and an injury, will replace Shahid Afridi, Imran Nazir and Fawad Alam, who were in the One-Day International squad, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced in Lahore.

Selection committee chairman Salahuddin Ahmed announced the squad, confirming that injured fast bowler Mohammed Asif, who missed the ODI series, would also not be able to play the Test series.

The second Test starts in Kolkata November 30 and the third in Bangalore December 8.

India have taken an unassailable 3-1 lead in the five-match ODI series. The last match will be played in Jaipur on Sunday.

Squad:

Shoaib Malik (captain), Younis Khan (vice-captain), Mohammad Yousaf, Salman Butt, Yasir Hameed, Faisal Iqbal, Misbah-ul-Haq, Kamran Akmal (wicket-keeper), Sarfraz Ahmed (wicket-keeper), Shoaib
Akhtar, Umar Gul, Sohail Tanveer, Mohammad Sami, Danish Kaneria and Abdur Rehman