Pakistan retain squad for 2nd Test

Pakistan named an unchanged 15-man squad for the second Test against India, starting in Faisalabad on January 21.

As the first Test at Lahore is heading for a tame draw, the Pakistan Cricket Board selection committee, headed by Wasim Bari, felt it would be best to persist with the same team.

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"As there was hardly anything in the pitch at the Gaddafi stadium and good numbers of hours were lost because of the weather, the selection committee decided to go with the same players for the second Test," Bari told this correspondent.

Bari said his team of selectors though would closely watch the players' performance in the second Test.

"It would be unjust to make any change in the team when no player got a real opportunity to show his worth," he added.

Chances are that the team management will again drop talented and specialist opener Imran Farhat from the final eleven.

"We have selected Farhat on the team and have given the team management an extra option. It is now the prerogative of the team management, including captain Inzamam-ul Haq and coach Bob Woolmer to play him as an opener or to continue with Shoaib Malik," he said.

Bari said he would like to see Farhat opening the innings after his brilliant hundred in the warm-up match against India.

"He has shown his form and we have selected him on his performance."

Farhat has been struggling to find a place in the team since December 2004 when he last played in Melbourne Test.

Pakistan squad: Inzamam-ul Haq (captain), Shoaib Akhtar, Younus Khan, Salman Butt, Shoiab Malik, Yousaf Youhana, Shahid Afridi, Kamran Akmal (wicketkeeper), Moahmmad Sami, Danish Keneria, Rana Naveedul Hassan, Mohammad Asid, Imran Farhat, Arshad Khan and Abdul Razzak.