Poor fielder Yousuf may not figure in Pak T20 WC squad

Pakistans middle order batsman Mohammad Yousuf may miss the flight for South Africa to play the Twenty-20 World Cup in September due to his weak fielding.

Karachi, July 27 : Pakistan's middle order batsman Mohammad Yousuf may miss the flight for South Africa to play the Twenty-20 World Cup in September due to his weak fielding.

Reports are making the rounds that the national selectors have already short listed 12 players for the 15-member squad. And, Yousuf may not make it to the remaining three slots owing to his reputation as one of the slowest fielders in the side.

According to sources, selectors are of the view that fielding is a key element in Twenty-20 version of cricket and any players who is weak in this department of the game can become a liability for the team.

Competing with Yousuf for a place in the middle-order are Faisal Iqbal, Misbah-Ul-Haq and Naved Latif. All the three batsmen have shown promise during the training camp in Lahore, though Faisal had a bit of an edge because of his superb fielding skills, The News quoted the sources, as saying.

The report said that openers Salman Butt, the new Pakistan vice-captain, Mohammad Hafeez and Imran Nazir are sure to get the selectors nod when they meet in Karachi on August 6 to select the squad for the first World Cup of the shortest version of the game to be played from September 11-24.

Shoaib Malik will lead the list that is likely to include Younis Khan, all-rounder Shahid Afridi, Kamran Akmal, wicket-keeper Kamran Akmal, rookie Fawad Alam and pacers Shoaib Akhtar, Mohammad Asif, Umar Gul and Rao Iftikhar Anjum.

ANI

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