PCB selectors under pressure to include Adnan Akmal in squad

Pakistani selectors are under pressure from skipper Misbah ul Haq to include glovesman Adnan Akmal and an extra pacer in the touring squad for the Test series in South Africa.

Sources close to the selectors said that there was no consensus between the national selection committee and Test captain Misbah.

"The biggest difference of opinion came over the selection of wicketkeeper Sarfaraz Ahmed from Karachi," a source pointed out.

He said Misbah wanted Adnan, the younger brother of Kamran Akmal in the side, insisting that he (Adnan) had done well and been a regular member of the Test squad since 2010.

But the source said chief selector Iqbal Qasim and the other selectors felt that Sarfaraz who had topped the charts in the President's Trophy tournament deserved to be given a proper chance and that he was a far more reliable batsman than Adnan.

The selectors dropped all three Akmal brothers for the Test series in South Africa. The source said there was also some dispute over the selection of middle-order batsman Faisal Iqbal and Misbah wanted a extra pace bowler for the tour.

"The selectors felt that four pacers and two specialist spinners were enough for three Test matches. They also pointed out to Misbah and Whatmore that on recent tours they had taken young and new players who had returned home without getting a chance to play any match," the source said.

He said the selectors particularly mentioned the case of uncapped batsman Haris Sohail who has been on tours to Sri Lanka and India now without getting a match. They also felt that in the last ODI Misbah and Whatmore should have given a chance to reserve players since series has been won.

"There was some dispute and apparently the Chairman of the board Zaka Ashraf had to intervene after which the selectors took a stance and announced the 16-member squad," another source said.