Pakistan sports committee to probe selection

Pakistan's controversial team selection for the tour of England is set to be scrutinized by a sports committee of the parliament's upper house that has summoned officials and selectors over the "injustice in selection".

The head of the Senate's committee on sports, Abdul Ghaffar Qureshi, said Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) would have to explain its actions. "We have come to know that there are injustices in the team selection and to probe that we have summoned officials and selectors in a meeting in Islamabad on July 9," Qureshi told AFP.

The squad was announced during the Asia Cup in Sri Lanka earlier this month with only chief selector Mohsin Khan, coach Waqar Younis, captain Shahid Afridi and manager Yawar Saeed in attendance. The selection was severely criticized by former players, and even members of the selection committee who weren't involved in the procedure.

The biggest point of contention was the exclusion of former captain Younis Khan, despite his appeal against the ban imposed by the PCB upheld. Ijaz Butt, chairman of the board, said later that Younis' return would require clearance from the board, something that wasn't deemed to be an issue with Shoaib Malik, Shahid Afridi and the Akmal brothers, who were all pardoned and included. Faisal Iqbal, Misbah-ul-Haq and Mohammad Sami were the other notable absentees from the 17-member squad.

Pakistan will play two Twenty20s and two Tests against Australia, followed by four Tests, two Twenty20 and five ODIs against England.