Razzaq blames PCB for ICL players' mess-up

Karachi: Experienced all-rounder Abdul Razzaq, who has expressed his desire to return to the national team, is aghast with the step-motherly attitude of the PCB towards the Indian Cricket League players and feels the board had complicated matters by consulting the ICC on the issue.

"There was no need to consult the International Cricket Council because I have ended my contract with the ICL so I don't see any problem if I want to play for my country again," Razzaq, who recently ended his contract with ICL to play for Pakistan, said.

"I just feel that the Pakistan Cricket Board has complicated matters by approaching the ICC for advise," he added.

He said it was not an easy decision for him to end his contract with the ICL but he did it on the advise of Pakistan captain Younis Khan.

"And also because I am very keen to represent my country once again," he added.

However, the ICL organisers are yet to confirm about the termination of Pakistani players' contracts.

Alam hopes spinners will trouble Australia

Pakistan coach Intikhab Alam is confident his spinners will cause problems for Australia's batsmen, who have struggled against slow bowlers in the ongoing ODI series in South Africa, during the five-match series in Dubai and Abu Dhabi beginning on April 22.

Australia were unable to counter offspinner Johan Botha effectively in both the home and away legs of the ODI series against South Africa and they also struggled against Roelof van der Merwe, who took 3 for 37 with his left-arm spin in the third ODI in Cape Townon Thursday.

"I am pleased to see the Australians lost wickets against spinners and we too have three quality spinners. If the wickets assist slow bowlers we have a good chance," Alam told AFP. "It all depends on the response from the pitch, but we can have more than one spinner in every match and get wickets.

"The ground in Dubai is new, so we will have to check, and there is also the dew factor in the evening. Although there are plans to use chemicals to counter the dew during the innings break, we have to see how it works out during our practice match."

Pakistan have three spinners in their 15-man squad - the specialist offspinner Saeed Ajmal, and allrounders Shoaib Malik and Shahid Afridi. The Pakistan squad is currently attending a three-day camp before leaving for Dubai on Sunday.

Pakistan named ICL players in squad for World Twenty20

The PCB has included Abdul Razzaq, Naved-ul-Hasan and Imran Nazir, all three of whom participated in the ICL, in the list of 30 players for the World Twenty20 to be held in England in June. Though the list features their names, whether or not they will play in the tournament is still subject to ICC approval. The PCB had earlier accepted the decision of the Sind High Court in February to temporarily lift the ban on 17 ICL-contracted players and permitted them to participate in domestic cricket. Razzaq, Naved and Nazir have been absent from the international scene for more than a year after opting to join the unauthorised league.

Also included in the squad is Shoaib Akhtar, who had earlier been named in a 15-man squad for the ODI series against Australia in the UAE. Shoaib returns to international cricket after being ruled out of the scheduled tour of Bangladesh, which was suspended due to security concerns, as a result of a knee injury.

Apart from the known faces in the Pakistan team, the squad for the World Twenty20 also includes allrounder Wahab Riaz, who impressed in the recently concluded RBS Cup domestic tournament, and Nasir Jamshed and Ahmed Shehzad, also in the squad for the series against Australia.

Pakistan Squad: Younis Khan (capt), Salman Butt, Nasir Jamshed, Khalid Latif, Shahzaib Hassan, Ahmed Shehzad, Umer Amin, Misbah-ul-Haq, Faisal Iqbal, Fawad Alam, Shoaib Malik, Shahid Afridi, Sohail Tanvir, Yasir Arafat, Kamran Younis, Shoaib Akhtar, Umar Gul, Rao Iftikhar Anjum, Aizaz Cheema, Muhammad Aamir, Wahab Riaz, Imran Ali, Danish Kaneria, Abdul Rehman, Yasir Shah, Kamran Akmal (wk), Sarfraz Ahmed, Abdul Razzaq, Rana Naved-ul-Hasan, Imran Nazir