At least, Ul Haq picked few new & deserving names; but overall I don't like the squad.
There are few names who shouldn't be there at all - not sure what Shaan, Iftekhar, Rahat & Yamin is doing here; these are seasoned players who have been picked for PAK national team (s), in last 2-3 years, don't think they have anything to prove or achieve from A team, any more. Rizwan already is a back-up for National team, therefore his spot should have gone to a new face - he shouldn't need any more WKeeping audition. HE IS NEVER GOING TO LEAD PAK, therefore it's absolute wastage of opportunity to make him Captain, ironically another WK. Kashif & Asghar are both SLAO spinner, therefore one Offie should have been picked while I believe the Irfan guy is the leggi, not the right-arm version of Tanvir one. Also, Ul Haq has picked 5 players over 30 (considering Ifti is still not 30), and more disturbingly 4 are bowlers - Rahat, Kashif, Jamal & Waqas - from Captaincy & bowling picks, I can say that enough lessons haven't been learn yet.
I would have picked mostly new & younger faces
1. Abid Ali - OK, probably back-up WK as well
2. Shan Masood - Zeeshan Malik, batting exceptionally well in List A. Shaan has nothing to prove for A side
3. Muhammad Saad - No idea, stats are poor (I guess this guy
http://www.espncricinfo.com/pakistan/content/player/387886.html) - if so, at almost 29 I won't have picked him - Saad Ali, who should get some game after last season - Ul Haq is handing him a Royal flash, only to be tricked by 4 of a kind.
4. Iftikhar Ahmed - Saif Badar
5. Saud Shakeel - should be Captain, and bat at 3 - here, if he gets a game, they'll bat him at 5-6
6. Agha Salman - OK
7. Amir Yamin - He (& Hammad) has lost his battle with Fahim, no need to invest further; I would have gone for an younger all-rounder, may be Ammad Butt
8. Muhammad Rizwan (C) - One new WK, may be Masood or Siddique
9. Kashif Bhatti - OK, his domestic season deserved a call, though 4-5 years to late. Guy, has been a domestic beast for last few years. Gohar could have been another name, but Kashif has number behind him
10. Muhammad Asghar - redundant selection; never going to play behind Kashif for his batting (blowing is similar, if not behind Kashif) - Kamran Ghulam for me, as batting all-rounder and lower order hitter
11. Rahat Ali - FGS no, Sameen Gul
12. Waqas Maqsood - not sure. Too old to invest, but contemporary form deserved a call, bowled well in T20 as well. May be Ehsan Adil was better pick, as they might be looking for options for SAF. I don't mind, but would have picked a genuine young Offie, at least 7-8 years younger than Bilal
13. Muhammad Irfan Jr - if it's the leggi, OK. If not, then a genuine Leggi was must.
14. Ahmed Jamal - again too old now, but may be deserved a call, he is listed as 6'4" as well - I won't keep him though, I would have picked one of the 2 U19 pacers (Arshad/Nasim) for a look.
Disclaimer: This is a poor PAK-A squad for me, but at least we can see couple of deserving faces, so not ZERO, but not much either - it doesn't serve the purpose of A team. Now, PAK A might blank NZ A side in the series - in that case, hope few moths later some troll won't refer this post to put me in some place.
lak di lanat.
