CricketViewer.com

Pace ace Shoaib Akhtar and a couple of Pakistan Test discards are all set to be invited for a national training camp getting underway in Abbottabad from June 10.

Shoaib missed last month’s One-day International (ODI) series against Sri Lanka in Abu Dhabi because of fitness reasons but is likely to be a part of a 20-man list to be announced by the national selection committee today for the high-altitude camp.

Middle-order batsmen Faisal Iqbal and Asim Kamal are also expected to receive an invite for the 15-day camp that would help the players get fit for a series of international assignments beginning with a short tour of Scotland next month.

Faisal and Asim were not considered for the series in Abu Dhabi after falling sick during a national training camp in Lahore last month. Faisal has now recovered from eye ulcers while Asim is fully fit after being down with malaria for a few weeks.

The final squad for the tour of Scotland will be announced by the national selectors on June 16 after the completion of the first week of the training camp.

Chief selector Salahuddin Ahmed alias Sallu and fellow committee members — Shafqat Rana and Saleem Jaffar — would also witness training sessions in Abbottabad.

Sallu and Shafqat Rana had a detailed meeting with Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Nasim Ashraf in Lahore to discuss several issues. Saleem Jaffar was unable to attend the meeting because of personal reasons.

It was decided during the meeting that the selectors would give the names of 30 players to be sent to the International Cricket Council (ICC) for the inaugural Twenty20 World Cup by the end of June. The T20 World Cup would be held in South Africa in September.

The officials also decided that national players, who are currently playing county cricket with PCB’s permission, will be eligible for Pakistan team selection.