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| Umar Akmal set for Test debut |
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Tuesday, November 24, 2009
By our correspondent
KARACHI: Pakistan’s 19-year-old batsman Umar Akmal is all set for his Test debut in the series opener against New Zealand getting underway in Dunedin on Tuesday (today).
According to Pakistan team sources, Umar will be a part of the middle-order with new captain Mohammad Yousuf, Shoaib Malik and youngster Fawad Alam. Pakistan has opted for Umar ahead of the more experienced Faisal Iqbal because of the Lahore boy’s impressive record in one-day matches this year.
Umar, younger brother of Pakistan’s wicketkeeper-batsman Kamran Akmal, has played ten one-dayers, scoring 311 at 42.24 with the help of one century. The team management has also decided to open with comeback batsman Imran Farhat and Khurram Manzoor, who has scored 239 runs from five Tests at anaverage of 34.14.
Imran returned to the Pakistan team after breaking ties with the rebel Indian cricket League (ICL). According to sources, another left-handed opener Salman Butt is expected to sit out of the first Test.
Imran Farhat has been rewarded for his fifty in a warm-up match Pakistan played against a New Zealand Invitation XI last week. Also winning a place in the playing eleven is Fawad Alam, who scored an impressive 77 in that match. The left-hander, who scored an impressive 168 on his Test debut in Sri Lanka last August, will take regular captain Younis Khan’s place at the number three spot.
Younis opted out of the three-match Test series to take a break from international cricket. According to team sources, Saeed Ajmal has elbowed out the more experienced Danish Kaneria and will take the field in Dunedin as Pakistan’s sole specialist spinner in the first Test.
Kaneria played in the three-day warm-up game after returning to the Pakistan squad but failed to impress much in it. “The team management wasn’t really impressed with the way Kaneria bowler in the warm-up game and now in favour of including Saeed Ajmal in the playing eleven,” said a source.
Pakistan’s possible playing XI: Muhammad Yousuf (captain), Imran Farhat, Khurram Manzoor, Fawad Alam, Shoaib Malik, Umar Akmal, Kamran Akmal, Muhammad Aamir, Umar Gul, Saeed Ajmal and Muhammad Asif.
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ISSN 1563-9479 
