Umar Gul Out of Champions Trophy With Knee Injury

Pakistan's Champions Trophy challenge suffered a major blow on Thursday as pace spearhead Umar Gul was ruled out with a knee injury that will keep him out of action for up to 12 weeks.
The 29-year-old complained of knee trouble during last month's tour of South Africa and was sidelined after playing the first two games of the five-match one-day series.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced Gul would head to Australia for an operation next month.
"Gul complained of right knee pain during the South Africa tour. He was rested for imminent damage to his medial meniscus and bone of right knee. On his arrival back to Pakistan he underwent MRI scan which confirmed knee problem," a PCB release said.
Gul's initial reports were sent to Australia where a specialist advised surgery and rest and gave a timeframe of 8-12 weeks for full recovery. The PCB said they hoped the operation would go ahead in Melbourne early next month.
The bowler has taken 163 wickets in 47 Tests and 167 in 116 one-day internationals. He is also the leading wicket-taker in Twenty20 internationals with 74 in 52 matches.
Pakistan are in Group B alongside India, the West Indies and South Africa in the Champions Trophy to be played in England from June 6-23.
Defending champions Australia, Sri Lanka, England and New Zealand form Group A.

Pakistan Squad for Champions Trophy

The national selection committee on Monday, as expected, axed experienced all-rounder Shahid Afridi and batsman Umar Akmal for the ICC Champions Trophy in England in June.
Chief selector Iqbal Qasim announced the 15-member squad in Lahore after lengthy deliberations although the selectors had finalised the squad last week and submitted it to the PCB chairman for approval.
At the end of the day, it transpired that the selectors made two changes to their submitted squad replacing the injured middle order batsman Haris Sohail with Umar Amin and preferring to pick left arm pacer Wahab Riaz to Aizaz Cheema.
The rest of the squad remained the same and Qasim said that Afridi was dropped because of his recent poor bowling form.
The same set of players with the addition of a few more are expected to get the central contracts for 2013.
The PCB also announced that Australian Trent Woodhill would be the batting coach of the team for the Champions Trophy and would join them in England.
Pakistan first play a one-day series in Scotland and Ireland in May before going to England for the Champions Trophy.

This will be their first visit to England since the 2010 spot fixing scandal.

Pakistan squad:

• Misbah-ul-Haq (captain)
• Abdur Rehman
• Asad Ali
• Asad Shafiq
• Ehsan Adil
• Imran Farhat
• Junaid Khan
• Kamran Akmal (wk)
• Mohammad Hafeez
• Mohammad Irfan
• Nasir Jamshed
• Saeed Ajmal
• Shoaib Malik
• Umar Amin
• Wahab Riaz

Younis Drop From Champions Trophy

Pakistan on Sunday omitted out-of-form Younis Khan from a 30-man initial squad for the eight-nation Champions Trophy after the middle order batsman flopped in recent one-day matches.
The 35-year-old Younis managed just 116 runs in the series against South Africa earlier this month which Pakistan lost 3-2 and has not managed to score a century since November 2008.
Pakistan is in group B of the event to be held in England from June 6-23. The other teams in their group are arch-rivals India, the West Indies and South Africa.
Defending champions Australia, New Zealand, Sri Lanka and England form group A.
All teams had April 6 as the cut off date to announce their initial squad to be trimmed to 15 in May.

Pakistan probables squad: Nasir Jamshed, Mohammad Hafeez, Imran Farhat, Ahmed Shehzad, Misbah-ul-Haq, Haris Sohail, Asad Shafiq, Umar Akmal, Shoaib Malik, Umer Amin, Sohail Tanvir, Hammad Azam, Azhar Ali, Shahid Afridi, Asad Ali, Anwar Ali, Junaid Khan, Mohammad Irfan, Wahab Riaz, Umar Gul, Rahat Ali, Ehsan Adil, Imran Khan, Aizaz Cheema, Yasir Arafat, Saeed Ajmal, Abdul Rehman, Zulfiqar Babar, Kamran Akmal, Mohammad Rizwan.

Champions Trophy Pakistan Probables squad

           Champions Trophy Pakistan Probables Squad

Player Name

Nasir Jamshed Mohammad Hafeez Imran Farhat Ahmed Shehzad Misbah-ul-Haq Haris Sohail Asad Shafiq Umar Akmal Shoaib Malik Umer Amin Sohail Tanvir Hammad Azam Azhar Ali Shahid Afridi Asad Ali Anwar Ali Junaid Khan Mohammad Irfan Wahab Riaz Umar Gul Rahat Ali Ehsan Adil Imran Khan Aizaz Cheema Yasir Arafat Saeed Ajmal Abdul Rehman Zulfiqar Babar Kamran Akmal Mohammad Rizwan

Pakistan Name for South Africa Test Squad

Pakistan on Friday included lanky paceman Mohammad Irfan in a 16-man squad for next month's three Tests against world number one side South Africa, but there was no place for the three Akmal brothers.

The 30-year-old Irfan, who is said to be seven foot one inch tall, impressed with his steepling bounce during Pakistan's recent tour to India where he featured in all three one-day matches and two Twenty20 internationals. But he has yet to play a Test.

The Test squad, led by Misbah-ul Haq, will open with a four-day side match at East London from January 25 before the first Test in Johannesburg from February 1.

The Pakistan Cricket Board said separate squads for two Twenty20 internationals and five one-day matches, which follow the Tests, will be announced later.

Surprisingly, none of the three Akmal brothers - Kamran, Umar and Adnan - are part of the Test squad and no selector was available to say why.

Nineteen-year-old paceman Ehsan Adil was also selected for the first time after impressing during the Junior World Cup in Australia last year. Adil has taken 56 wickets in ten first-class matches this season.

The pace squad will be led by the experienced Umar Gul, Junaid Khan and Irfan.

Uncapped left-hander Haris Sohail and Faisal Iqbal also retained their places in the squad after failing to play any match on the Sri Lanka tour while left-handed opener Nasir Jamshed, who has yet to play a Test, also made the cut.

Pakistan Test squad:

Misbah-ul-Haq  (capt)

Mohammad Hafeez

Nasir Jamshed

Azhar Ali

Asad Shafiq

Younis Khan

Taufeeq Umar

Sarfraz Ahmed (wk)

Junaid Khan

Mohammad Irfan

Ehsan Adil

Saeed Ajmal

Adbur Rehman

Haris Sohail

Faisal Iqbal

Umar Gul

Pakistan Name Squad For South Africa Test

Pakistan on Friday included lanky paceman Mohammad Irfan in a 16-man squad for next month's three Tests against world number one side South Africa, but there was no place for the three Akmal brothers.
The 30-year-old Irfan, who is said to be seven foot one inch tall, impressed with his steepling bounce during Pakistan's recent tour to India where he featured in all three one-day matches and two Twenty20 internationals. But he has yet to play a Test.
The Test squad, led by Misbah-ul Haq, will open with a four-day side match at East London from January 25 before the first Test in Johannesburg from February 1.
The Pakistan Cricket Board said separate squads for two Twenty20 internationals and five one-day matches, which follow the Tests, will be announced later.
Surprisingly, none of the three Akmal brothers - Kamran, Umar and Adnan - are part of the Test squad and no selector was available to say why.
Nineteen-year-old paceman Ehsan Adil was also selected for the first time after impressing during the Junior World Cup in Australia last year. Adil has taken 56 wickets in ten first-class matches this season.
The pace squad will be led by the experienced Umar Gul, Junaid Khan and Irfan.
Uncapped left-hander Haris Sohail and Faisal Iqbal also retained their places in the squad after failing to play any match on the Sri Lanka tour while left-handed opener Nasir Jamshed, who has yet to play a Test, also made the cut.

Pakistan Test squad:

• Misbah-ul-Haq (capt)
• Mohammad Hafeez
• Nasir Jamshed
• Azhar Ali
• Asad Shafiq
• Younis Khan
• Taufeeq Umar
• Sarfraz Ahmed (wk)
• Junaid Khan
• Mohammad Irfan
• Ehsan Adil
• Saeed Ajmal
• Adbur Rehman
• Haris Sohail
• Faisal Iqbal
• Umar Gul

Pakistan Name Squad For India Tour

Pakistan on Monday announced separate squads for the two Twenty20 and three one-day internationals against India starting later this month.

The Pakistan team will fly to New Delhi on December 22 and play the first Twenty20 match in Bangalore three days later.

The second Twenty20 match will be played in Ahmedabad on December 27 followed by one-day matches in Chennai (December 30), Kolkata (January 3) and Delhi (January 6).

Pakistan Twenty20 squad: Mohammad Hafeez (captain), Nasir Jamshed, Kamran Akmal, Umar Akmal, Umar Amin, Shoaib Malik, Shahid Afridi, Saeed Ajmal, Mohammad Irfan, Junaid Khan, Sohail Tanveer, Umar Gul, Asad Ali, Zulfiqar Babar, Ahmed Shahzad

Pakistan ODI squad: Misbah-ul-Haq (captain), Mohammad Hafeez, Azhar Ali, Younis Khan, Nasir Jamshed, Haris Sohail, Kamran Akmal, Saeed Ajmal, Wahab Riaz, Junaid Khan, Umar Gul, Zulfiqar Babar, Imran Farhat, Umar Akmal, Anwar Ali.