Imran Farhat's 107 for Pakistan A against India has earned him an expected return to Pakistan's squad for the first Test against India. In a 15-man squad relatively free of surprises, Pakistan have included four fast bowlers as well as Abdul Razzaq who has only recently recovered from typhoid. Razzaq missed the Tests against England with an elbow injury and was considered doubtful for the first Test after he was admitted to hospital.
Iqbal Qasim, a member of the selection committee, told Cricinfo that the squad was a straightforward one to pick. "It wasn't too much of a problem. I would say most of the squad picked itself and only a few little areas needed some consideration. You don't want to disrupt a winning combination too much."
Farhat's recall is notable; he was dropped in December 2004 after the Melbourne Test against Australia. At that time, he had played in 11 consecutive Tests as the first-choice opener for Pakistan, an extended run that few openers have been granted in the recent past. "But I was never disappointed during the last year because such up and downs come in your career," said Farhat of his exclusion to AFP. He spent most of the year performing solidly on the domestic circuit, where in eight matches this season, he averages over 60. His performance ensured that rumours of an alleged bust-up between Farhat's father-in-law, Mohammad Ilyas, and Bob Woolmer over Farhat's continued exclusion from the Pakistan side last year were overlooked. A timely century against India in the warm-up game sealed his return.
"Imran has performed very well domestically since he got dropped and he was rewarded for that by being picked for the Pakistan A side. By scoring a century he has taken his opportunity very well and he deserves a place in the squad," added Qasim. Although his inclusion means Pakistan now has two specialist openers in the squad - Salman Butt is the other - the mood within the camp suggests he is unlikely to find a place in the starting line-up. As Pakistan continue their search for a settled opening pair, it seems likely the Shoaib Malik experiment as opener will continue for the time being. Woolmer is thought to be keen on giving Malik another opportunity while, according to Wasim Bari, the chief selector, Inzamam prefers Malik for the balance he provides with his offspin.
Many thought Umar Gul, who played such a vital role in Pakistan's win against India in Lahore in 2004, would find a place in the squad but Mohammad Asif edged him out. Qasim admitted picking between the two was a tough decision. "They have both done well recently. Ultimately we had only one place available and we just felt, given how he did against England on his ODI debut, and how he has improved over the last year and performed domestically, that he deserved a chance ahead of Umar. But it was a very tough choice."
Asim Kamal also finds himself out of Pakistan's squad for the first time since his debut against South Africa in October 2003. With eight fifties in 12 Tests, he could consider himself unlucky but he has been woefully out of form in the last few months, as Qasim acknowledged. "We are monitoring him but he's unlucky because he has been out of form for a while now. Even before the England series, he seemed out of touch, domestically and in warm-up games. He remains in contention, however, as he has proved himself capable of handling international cricket."
Yasir Hameed and Riffatullah Mohmand have also been released from the squad although the former, stricken with typhoid, will curse his luck. After missing out on the Test series against England, Hameed was recalled for the last ODI of the series in Rawalpindi, where he responded with a controlled half-century. He is likely to be out for at least a week now.
Pakistan
Salman Butt, Imran Farhat, Younis Khan (vice-capt), Inzamam-ul-Haq (capt), Mohammad Yousuf , Shahid Afridi, Kamran Akmal (wk), Abdul Razzaq, Shoaib Malik, Mohammad Sami, Shoaib Akhtar, Rana Naved-ul-Hasan, Danish Kaneria, Arshad Khan, Mohammad Asif.