Abid, Ahmed picked for Kuwait tie

KARACHI: Pakistan Tennis Federation (PTF) picked Abid Ali Akbar and Ahmed Chaudhry to team up with Aqeel Khan and Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi for the Davis Cup tie against Kuwait to be held in Sri Lanka from March 4-6.
The four-member team was announced by chairman selection committee Khawaja Saeed Hai after four-day trials. Aqeel and Aisam were exempted from the trials. Former Davis Cupper Rashid Malik will be the non-playing captain.
For the trials, PTF had invited Abid Mushtaq, Yasir Khan, Heera Aashiq, Abid Ali Akber, Ahmed Chaudhry, and Usman Rafeeq.
PTF had included Samir Iftikhar in the team, exempting him from the trials, but he sustained a wrist injury while playing an event in Arizona.
“We announced this team after getting confirmation from all players of their availability,” said PTF secretary Khalid Rehmani. “Samir is not part of the team due to his injury,” he said.
About the reinstatement of Rashid as the non-playing captain in place of Mohammad Khalid, he said Khalid’s assignment had ended in September last. Rashid had been sacked from the position of non-playing captain by the previous PTF management in 2012 for his alleged non-professional attitude during the tie against Lebanon in February 2012.