Danish, Sami, Faisal in test squad

LAHORE—Leg spinner Danish Kaneria, paceman Muhammad Sami and middle order batsman Faisal Iqbal have been included in the 15-member Pakistan Cricket squad which will play test series in India.
The national selection committee headed by Salahuddin Ahmed announced the squad after one-day series loss. Opener Imran Nazir, all-rounder Shahid Afridi pace bowler
Rao Iftikhar have been called back while another player Fawad Alam who was among the 15-member one-day squad is flying back home. “ We have brought changes in the side based on requirement in the test cricket and we believe these players will be justifying their inclusion “, said Salahuddin while talking to APP on Friday.
Following is the 15-member squad Shoiab Malik (captain), Younis Khan (vice captain) Mohammad Yousaf, Salman Butt, Yasir Hameed, Faisal Iqbal, Misbah ul Haq,(Kamran Akmal ,Sarfraz Ahmed wicketkeepers), Shoaib Akhtar, Umar Gull, Sohail Tanveer, Mohammad Sami, Danish Kaneria and Abdur Rehman.
He expressed the hope that Pakistan team will producegood results in the test series ,setting aside their loss inthe one day matches.
Our endeavour is to select a team which is balanced inall departments and now it is up to the players how theyperform in the longest version of cricket “, he said.
“Sami has been in good form and since fast bowling is our strength, we think Sami partnering Akhtar would strengthen Pakistan’s attack in the Tests,” chief selector Salahuddin Ahmed told AFP.
The first Test opens in New Delhi on November 22. The other two Tests are scheduled for Calcutta from November 30 to December 4, and Bangalore from December 4-8.
Batsman Faisal Iqbal and leg-spinner Danish Kaneria will join the 15-man Test squad. Afridi, all-rounder Fawad Alam, opener Imran Nazir and paceman Rao Iftikhar will return home after the ongoing one-day series.
India clinched that series with a clinical six-wicket win at Gwalior on Thursday for an unassailable 3-1 lead, leaving the fifth and last match at Jaipur on Sunday inconsequential.
The 26-year-old Sami played the last of his 30 Tests against South Africa at Cape Town earlier this year. He has taken 77 Test wickets — a tally which many believe belies his huge potential. Sami took a career-best 8-39 for Karachi against Sialkot in the domestic tournament last week, which was instrumental in his recall. “We have followed Sami’s progress in the season and hope that he plays his part in the series,” Ahmed said of Sami, who was also part of Pakistan’s team on their last tour of India in 2005.
All-rounder Afridi, 27, was a surprise omission. He had opted to rest in Pakistan’s last Test series against South Africa at home last month. Pakistan will miss another paceman, Mohammad Asif, who was not considered while recovering from an elbow injury.
Asif is due to travel to Australia for an assessment of his injury later this week and hopes he can still play a part in the Test series

.—Agencies