Pak selectors axe Razzaq, bring in Asif, Imran Nazir for Champions Trophy

Pak selectors axe Razzaq, bring in Asif, Imran Nazir for Champions TrophyLahore, Aug. 21 : The seven member selection committee of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Friday controversially recalled paceman Mohammad Asif and opener Imran Nazir, but omitted all-rounder Abdul Razzaq from their 15-man squad for next month’s Champions Trophy in South Africa.

Pakistan is placed in Group A of the eight-nation Champions Trophy to be held from September 20 to October 5.

The selection committee met at the PCB offices in Lahore. Sources told the Dawn that the chief selector Iqbal Qasim had consultations with head coach Intikhab Alam and PCB chairman Ijaz Butt before finalising the squad.

"There’s no doubt in my mind that this is the best available team selected for the mega event," Qasim was quoted by a foreign news agency, as saying.

Squad: Younus Khan (capt), Imran Nazir, Misbah-ul-Haq, Umer Akmal, Shoaib Malik, Shahid Afridi, Rana Naved-ul Hasan, Fawad Alam, Moahmmad Yousuf, Kamran Akmal, Umar Gul, Mohammad Aamir, Mohammad Asif, Rao Iftikhar and Saeed Ajmal (ANI)