Yousuf, Malik omitted from 30-player list for Pak 'central contracts'

Karachi, Jan 30: Pakistan’s cricket selection committee has omitted names of senior players Mohammad Yousuf, Shoaib Malik, Danish Kaneria and Rana Naved from the proposed list of 30 players, who will be awarded fresh central contracts this year.

According to sources close to the selectors, the list has been submitted to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), which in turn has forwarded it to the Integrity Committee for clearance.

“The reason the selectors didn’t recommend the names of Yousuf, Malik, Kaneria and Naved is varied,” the Daily Times quoted a source, as saying.

“While Malik and Kaneria can’t be considered for central contracts until they are cleared by the integrity committee to play for the national team, there are question marks over whether Yousuf and Naved will be regular and indispensable members of the national team in the future,” the source revealed.

The integrity committee will give its recommendations to PCB chief Ijaz Butt, who has to give the final approval to the list of players who will be given central contracts.

Malik and Kaneria could be awarded central contracts later on when they get the permission to play for Pakistan, said the source.

“For the moment, the Integrity Committee has not given them clearance until the two submit relevant papers asked by the committee pertaining to sources of income, bank accounts etc,” the source added.

According to the source, the selectors have included at least three to four new players in the recommended 30-player list for their outstanding performances in domestic cricket.

“The names have been recommended strictly on the basis of a four-point policy employed by the selection committee, that takes into consideration including player’s future prospects, fitness, performance and discipline. The committee, headed by chief selector Mohsin Khan, wants to ensure that they pick the best young talent from the domestic circuit,” the source said.