Master blaster Sachin Tendulkar has opted out of the Afro-Asian cup beginning on June 6 in Bangalore. With Tendulkar’s exit, Bengal Tiger Sourav Ganguly gets a chance to be included in the 14-member squad.
Zaheer Khan’s inclusion in the squad takes the Indian representation for the Cup to six. Whereas, Virender Sehwag, Yuvraj Singh, Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Harbhajan Singh are the other four Indians who were already named in the original squad announced earlier this month.
Other players who announced their unavailablity for the tournament are Pakistani speedster Shoaib Akhtar, Sri Lankan pacemen Chaminda Vaas and Lasith Malinga.
Sri Lankan Dilhara Fernando and Mashrafe Mortaza of Bangladesh were the other two new faces in the squad for the three-match series.
ASM Farooque, Chetan Chauhan, Mohsin Khan and Lalith Kaluperuma, selectors of the second Afro-Asian Cup made the announcement of the revised squad.
Mahela Jayawardene will captain the Asian side. The new Squad is as follows:
Asian team (ODIs): Mahela Jayawardene (Capt, Sri Lanka), Sanath Jayasuriya (Sri Lanka), Sourav Ganguly (India), Virender Sehwag (India), Yuvraj Singh (India), Mohammad Yousuf (Pakistan), Mahendra Singh Dhoni (India), Harbhajan Singh (India), Zaheer Khan (India), Mashrafe Mortaza (Bangladesh), Mohammad Asif (Pakistan), Mohammad Rafique (Bangladesh), Dilhara Fernando (Sri Lanka), Upul Tharanga (Sri Lanka).
Twenty20: Shoaib Malik (Captain, Pakistan), Imran Nazir (Pakistan), Shahid Afridi (Pakistan), Kamran Akmal (Pakistan),Tamim Iqbal (Bangladesh), Mohammad Ashraful (Bangladesh), Tillakaratne Dilshan (Sri Lanka), Abdur Razzak (Bangladesh), Farveez Maharoof (Sri Lanka), Mashrafe Mortaza (Bangladesh), S Sreesanth (India).
Via:Rediff
