PCB to decide on players’ clearance for World Cup squad
The http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Pakistan-c755 Cricket Board (PCB) will hold a meeting today in order to resolve the issue of the players who have not been cleared for selection in the national team.
According to sources, the PCB’s integrity committee will get together with the selection committee to finalise the team for the one-day international (ODI) series against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/New-Zealand-c754, and the squad for the upcoming Cricket World Cup in February.
The meeting is expected to continue for 2-3 days, and on the first day the players who have not been cleared will meet the committee in a bid to get themselves into the Pakistani team. The suspected players have been barred from selection in the national
team by the PCB on the pretext of their alleged links with bookies.
A selector, who chose to stay anonymous said, “We will be holding a series of meetings over the next two days. The decision on the suspected players will be discussed on the first day and is likely to be finalised on the same day [today].”
The PCB has so far not disclosed the identities of the players who haven’t been cleared, however it is speculated that former captain Shoaib Malik, wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal and spinner http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Danish-Kaneria-c1314 are the unfortunate players. The PCB has been probing
their financial records. Earlier this month the board asked the players to submit details of their financial assets if they wanted to be cleared of corruption allegations. It is expected that the players will meet board members with their financial documents
today in the said meeting.
A selection committee member said, “We already did a lot of work on selection and after a decision on the suspected players, we will finalise the list of 30 players for the World Cup squad on the second day.”
Due to the ongoing spot-fixing investigations, the International Cricket Council (ICC) had asked the PCB not to select any players before removing all doubts of their links with bookies. Although no formal charges or proof has been found against Malik, Akmal
and Kaneria, the ICC still remains doubtful of their role in match-fixing. This is the reason they have not been selected by the PCB yet. If the players manage to clarify their position in front of the PCB’s integrity committee, they will be selected for the
national team with immediate effect.
Currently three Pakistani players Salman Butt, Mohammad Aamir and Mohammad Asif are serving an ICC suspension from all forms of cricket because of their alleged involvement in the spot-fixing debacle in England this summer. The trio are going to plead their
innocence in a hearing before an ICC Anti-Corruption Tribunal on 6 January.
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