Senior batsman Muhammad Yousuf was omitted from Pakistan's final 15-member squad for the World Cup, to be held in the subcontinent from February 19.
Yousuf, a veteran of 90 Tests and 288 one-day internationals, was named in the preliminary squad of 30 players. However, the selectors showed faith in young Asad Shafiq instead of the experienced batsmahn, who is captaining the Lahore team in the ongoing national one-day championship in a bid to convince the selectors he was fit and in form for the ICC's showpiece event.
All the players presently touring New Zealand for the one-day series were named in the squad.
But the decision to not name a captain for the squad, although Shahid Afridi has led the team in T20 and ODIs since last year and is presently captain for the series in New Zealand, indicates that Test captain Misbah-ul Haq is a strong choice to also lead the one-day squad.
Pakistan squad: Muhammad Hafeez, Ahmed Shehzad, Younis Khan, Misbah-ul-Haq, Umar Akmal, Asad Shafiq, Kamran Akmal, Shahid Afridi, Abdul Razzaq, Abdul Rehman, Saeed Ajmal, Shoaib Akhtar, Umar Gul, Wahab Riaz, Sohail Tanvir.
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