Pak squad for India tour to be picked after national T20 meet

Karachi: Pakistan`s chief selector, Iqbal Qasim has made it clear that no player, including seniors like Shahid Afridi, were automatic selections for the coming tour to India.

"We will be looking at performances of players in the ongoing Presidents Trophy and the national T20 event that will be held next month. We will select the squad for the Indian tour after the national T20 tournament," he said today. The former Test spinner confirmed that there were plans to have a 10-day conditioning camp for the tours to India and South Africa. "Shahid Afridi and other players are not automatic choices for the One-day series in India and we are expecting him to perform well and hit form in the domestic T20 event," Qasim said. He pointed out that the tours were very important for the team and the selectors would take their time in finalising the squads. "There is no hurry and we want to have a close look at the players before finalising anything," he said. The chief selector noted that the full Test series in South Africa immediately after the tour to India was going to be a big challenge for the national team. He didn`t rule out the possibility of the selectors having a look at experienced Test batsman, Mohammad Yousuf for the tour. "We might decide to make use of Yousuf`s experience and we are hoping he will perform in domestic cricket," he said. Yousuf has been striving to get special permission from the cricket board to represent Port Qasim team in the ongoing Presidents Trophy first-class tournament in a bid to prove his form and fitness. PTI