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Kamran Akmal, the wicketkeeper, is also capable of blistering strokeplay, as he proved by scoring consecutive one-day centuries against England last winter.

Pakistan's batsmen are not as badly afflicted as the bowlers, but Shoaib Malik - an opener and off-spinner - will probably be ruled out unless his elbow problem clears up overnight.
The middle order is the heart of the team, with Younis Khan, Mohammad Yousuf and Inzamam-ul-Haq all ranked in the top 10.

Pakistan's batsmen are not as badly afflicted as the bowlers, but Shoaib Malik - an opener and off-spinner - will probably be ruled out unless his elbow problem clears up overnight.
The middle order is the heart of the team, with Younis Khan, Mohammad Yousuf and Inzamam-ul-Haq all ranked in the top 10.

Pakistan coach Bob Woolmer: "There is a re-examination on the 28th and the seriousness of the injury will only emerge then. It could turn out to be a week's rest or it could turn out to require surgery."

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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.

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.

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.

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.

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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.

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Pakistan coach Bob Woolmer: "There is a re-examination on the 28th and the seriousness of the injury will only emerge then. It could turn out to be a week's rest or it could turn out to require surgery."

If Naved does miss out, the favourites to replace him are Samiullah Niazi, a left-arm fast bowler, or leg-spinner Mushtaq Ahmed, his erstwhile Sussex team-mate. The upshot could be that Pakistan's attack is led by 23-year-old Mohammad Asif, a man with five Tests and a short stint with Leicestershire under his belt. Their first match is a one-day international against Scotland, to be played in Edinburgh tomorrow.

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Pakistan's squad landed in the UK yesterday to find English cricket at its lowest ebb for several years. Inzamam-ul-Haq's men started England's post-Ashes recession, when they came back from an apparently hopeless position to win at Multan. Now they have a chance to accelerate the slide.

If Pakistan had a full hand of pace bowlers, it would be hard to see England out-playing them over this four-Test series (which starts at Lord's on July 13). But Inzamam has injury problems of his own. Shoaib Akhtar has a stress fracture in his ankle, which should restrict him to commentary stints until the final stages of the tour. And Rana-ul-Naved has a sore groin, presumably sustained while pulling up one too many trees for Sussex in April and May.

Pakistan will not decide until Wednesday whether Naved will even be named in the side. It has been suggested that he, like Ashley Giles, has been suffering from the condition known as Gilmore's Groin

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Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief operating officer Salim Altaf said "seniority" was the main criterion in deciding the contracts which saw Akhtar named in the top 'A' category with captain Shoaib Malik, vice-captain Misbahul Haq, Younis Khan, Shahid Afridi, Umar Gul, Kamran Akmal, Salman Butt and Danish Kaneria.

He missed out on a central contract last year following Pakistan's Test and one-day series defeats in India in 2007, when he was often absent through illness and injury.

Angered by his exclusion, Akhtar publicly criticised the PCB and was handed the ban before its reduction on appeal.

The talented and fiery Akhtar has taken 178 Test wickets in a chequered international career that began in 1997. He tested positive for the banned steroid nandrolone in October 2006, although his two-year ban was overturned on appeal.