The News

KARACHI: The final trial match for the selection of Pakistan’s one-day squad was washed out in Lahore on Friday and would now take place at the Gaddafi Stadium today.

A Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) official said that heavy rains made it impossible for the match to be held as scheduled. The Pakistan team probables were forced to just carry out a fielding training session on Friday which was supposed to be the final day of the training camp.

The official said that the match would now be played today between the Pakistan Academy team and a side led by Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik.

The match would help decide the members of the national selection committee to see several promising junior players in action for the first time. The selectors are to announce the Pakistan team for a three-match ODI series against Sri Lanka in Abu Dhabi by May 7. The series is scheduled to be held from May 18-22.

The selectors would meet in Lahore tomorrow to discuss the Pakistan team combination for the series in Abu Dhabi. Pakistan are expected to introduce a few fresh faces in their squad following a disastrous World Cup campaign.

The national training camp would end after today’s trial game and the Pakistan team players would later gather at the Gaddafi Stadium on May 10 for a brief five-day preparatory camp which continue till the squad’s departure for Abu Dhabi on May 16.