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Discarded players under consideration: Mohsin

Team for West Indies Tests to be announced early next month.

KARACHI: A ray of hope emerged for the team discards including left-handed Fawad Alam and middle-order batsman Faisal Iqbal as the selection committee decided to consider them for Pakistan’s upcoming Test series against the West Indies.

The selectors, who included several new faces for the limited-overs series against the West Indies, are mulling over experimenting besides keeping a close watch on dropped players who performed well in recent domestic events.

hief selector Mohsin Khan has revealed that the selection committee has formed a big pool of probables for the Test series starting on May 12.

“We have formed a large pool of available players,” said the chief selector, adding the performance of dropped players in the domestic circuit would be closely watched.

“The pool consists of promising youngsters and the ones who have not been given chance in recent times.

“Players like Iqbal and Alam are also under consideration and may get a chance for the series.

“Dropped players are a very important part the pool and can get their chance on the basis of their performances in domestic tournaments.”

The chief selector added that the team would be finalised in the first week of May after the selection committee’s meeting.

Iqbal had failed to obtain the selectors’ confidence since January last year when he played his last Test against Australia in Sydney. On the other hand, Alam, who was dropped from the one-day team against South Africa in UAE last year, played his last Test against New Zealand in 2009.

Khan also hinted at a possible return of former captain Younus Khan who has been rested for the limited-overs series in the Caribbean.

“Younus is a senior player and I would certainly like to include him in the Test squad.”