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Pakistan's national selection committee axed flamboyant all-rounder Shahid Afridi and pacer Sohail Tanvir from the 15-man squad.

Afridi and Tanvir were axed from the first Test squad against Sri Lanka, as the selectors preferred to give rookie players Ahmed Shahzad and Mohammad Talha a chance.

Tanvir's omission a surprise

The decision to drop Afridi from the squad was hardly a surprise considering that he has struggled for form in recent months despite being a regular member of the one-day squad.

But the decision to sideline left-arm pacer Tanvir comes as a surprise as after a poor one-day series against Sri Lanka, he bounced back well in domestic cricket.

The first Test between Pakistan and Sri Lanka would be played from Saturday at the National Stadium.

Chief selector Abdul Qadir said the decision to drop Afridi did not mean he was completely out of contention for the series.

"He is a very senior player and it was a very difficult decision to drop him. But we didn't want a situation where he was in the 15-member squad and not picked in the final playing eleven. It would have been humiliating for a senior player like him," Qadir said.

He said fast bowler Mohammad Talha and opener Shahzad deserved a chance as both had been doing well in domestic cricket.

watch Pakistan vs Sri Lanka 1st Test Day 4 live streaming

Pakistan's national selection committee axed flamboyant all-rounder Shahid Afridi and pacer Sohail Tanvir from the 15-man squad.

Afridi and Tanvir were axed from the first Test squad against Sri Lanka, as the selectors preferred to give rookie players Ahmed Shahzad and Mohammad Talha a chance.

Tanvir's omission a surprise

The decision to drop Afridi from the squad was hardly a surprise considering that he has struggled for form in recent months despite being a regular member of the one-day squad.

But the decision to sideline left-arm pacer Tanvir comes as a surprise as after a poor one-day series against Sri Lanka, he bounced back well in domestic cricket.

The first Test between Pakistan and Sri Lanka would be played from Saturday at the National Stadium.

Chief selector Abdul Qadir said the decision to drop Afridi did not mean he was completely out of contention for the series.

"He is a very senior player and it was a very difficult decision to drop him. But we didn't want a situation where he was in the 15-member squad and not picked in the final playing eleven. It would have been humiliating for a senior player like him," Qadir said.

He said fast bowler Mohammad Talha and opener Shahzad deserved a chance as both had been doing well in domestic cricket.

watch Pakistan vs Sri Lanka 1st Test Day 4 live

Younus, in his first Test since being installed as captain last month, hit an unbeaten 149 as Pakistan inched closer to avoiding the follow-on.

Younus shared in a 149-run stand for the third wicket with Shoaib Malik, which was ended when the latter was run out for 56.

At stumps, Pakistan had progressed to 296 for three, still 348 runs behind on the first innings count, but with light at the end of the tunnel in sight.

Misbah-ul-Haq joined Younus at the fall of Malik's wicket and was on 20 when stumps were drawn.

Captain Courageous 

Rather than send in a nightwatchman, Younus had signalled his intentions by walking out to bat when Salman Butt's wicket went down at the end of play yesterday.

He bound Pakistan's innings together with a safety-first approach at the start, although Sri Lanka had their chances against him early in his innings.

He survived a good shout for leg before off Ajantha Mendis, but thereafter batted cautiously. He reached his half-century with a risky single and began to exert a little more authority, mixing delectable drives with risky reverse sweep shots.

He steadily chipped away at the deficit, all the while getting closer to a personal century.