 Pakistan drops Akmal from Asia Cup squad
19th Jun 2008 22:00 IST
Agencies
Pakistan's long serving wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal's luck finally ran out today when the national selection committee axed him from the Asia Cup squad and brought in young Sarfraz Ahmed.
With Sarfraz the only keeper named in a short list of 20 probables for a two-day conditioning camp in Karachi, it was obvious that Kamran had lost the confidence of the selectors.
Selectors said a final 15- member squad would be named on Sunday.
Kamran's omission came after he played virtually non-stop for Pakistan in 38 Tests and 88 one-day internationals since replacing Moin Khan in 2004.
He missed out on three one-dayers in recent months when the selectors rested him and played Sarfraz, 21, who hails from Karachi which traditionally has given Pakistan its best and longest serving keepers including Wasim Bari, Saleem Yousuf, Rashid Latif and Moin.
The decision to drop Kamran came after his keeping had come in for sharp criticism even in the tri-series final win over India in Dhaka recently and also during the Indian Premier League.
Sources say the captain and coach, sensing his time was up, had even tried to rescue him by sending him in as makeshift opener in Dhaka but the ploy didn't cut any ice with the selectors.
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