Speaking to PakPassion.net Selection Committee Chairman Mohsin Khan confirmed why he and his colleagues in the Selection Committee decided to leave out 25 year old Alam.

 by Saj Sadiq

05 January 2011

The Pakistani selectors announced on Tuesday the 30 man preliminary squad for the upcoming World Cup, a day ahead of the ICC deadline.

The Pakistani selection committee had been granted additional time by the ICC to finalise the preliminary squad, due to the ongoing investigations by the PCB appointed Integrity Committee into the availability of wicket keeper Kamran Akmal, former captain Shoaib Malik and leg spinner Danish Kaneria.

Whilst the bulk of the squad was as expected, there were two notable absentees from the names issued by the Selection Committee. Ahead of the announcement there were doubts regarding Shoaib Malik, but there will have been few that will have predicted the omission of left handed middle order batsmen Fawad Alam.

Speaking to PakPassion.net Selection Committee Chairman Mohsin Khan confirmed why he and his colleagues in the Selection Committee decided to leave out 25 year old Alam.

"We simply could not find a place for Fawad in the squad and that was down to him not being in the sort of form needed in a tournament like the World Cup."

Alam made his one day international debut in May 2007 against Sri Lanka where he scored a first ball duck and has featured in 27 one day internationals, but has not been able to cement his place in the starting line up. The wristy left hander has 4 half centuries to his name and averages just over 37, with a strike rate of 73.80. 

In the recent 5 match one day series in UAE against South Africa, Alam made scores of 9, 48, 59 not out, 6 and 1. Prior to the one day series in UAE, Alam made scores of 39, 20 not out, 64, 29 and 1 against England.

More recently though Alam was dropped after the first Twenty20 international against New Zealand when he managed just 9 runs.

Whilst Kamran Akmal was named in the 30 man squad, there was bad news for Shoaib Malik and Danish Kaneria as the selection committee overlooked both players who had also been summoned by the Integrity Committee recently in Lahore. Khan's response when asked about the availability of Kaneria stated that "the selection committee only selected players that were made available to us".

The former opening batsmen added that he was satisfied with the balance and makeup of the 30 man squad stating that "I feel we have selected the 30 best players that were available for selection and I am confident that we can select a strong final squad from these players."

Pakistan's build up for the World Cup will be finalised with six one day internationals in New Zealand later this month and Khan added that the squad for the one day series will be finalised next week.

"The selection committee will meet again next week in Lahore to finalise the one day squad for the six match series versus New Zealand and let me clarify that the one day squad for New Zealand was not selected at the same time as the provisional World Cup squad."