World Cup snub for Yousuf

Pakistan have omitted Mohammad Yousuf from their World Cup squad and deferred naming a captain.

Experienced batsman Yousuf, who has played at the last three 50-over global showpieces, was not deemed fit enough to warrant a place in the 15-man party.

The 36-year-old, a stalwart of 288 ODIs, has not played for his country since November due to a groin injury.

The selectors have also left out Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Asif and Salman Butt, who are currently suspended pending the verdict - due on February 5 - from the International Cricket Council anti-corruption tribunal.

The trio, who were charged in relation to alleged spot-fixing during the Lord's Test against England last summer, can be brought into the squad if they are cleared, according to the Pakistan Cricket Board.

Shahid Afridi, skipper in the white-ball formats throughout 2010, is included - but is yet to be confirmed as the man at the helm.

Other options for the leadership are Test captain Misbah-ul-Haq and former skipper Younus Khan, who led Pakistan to victory at the 2009 World T20.

Comfortable

"I am not worried about the captaincy, it never worries me,"said Afridi.

"I have never run after the captaincy in my entire career. It is something for the cricket board to decide.

"If they feel I am the right man they will appoint me and if they don't they will make someone else captain."

The squad is otherwise the same as that picked for the upcoming one-day series in New Zealand, with the exception of seam bowler Tanvir Ahmed.

Left-arm paceman Sohail Tanvir and veteran Shoaib Akhtar have been preferred.

Shoaib is one of three survivors from the team that reached the final of the 1999 World Cup. Afridi and all-rounder Abdul Razzaq are the others.

The tournament takes place in Bangladesh, India and Sri Lanka from February 19 to April 2.

Pakistan, who lost their co-hosting rights due to security problems, are drawn in Group A alongside Australia, Canada, Kenya, New Zealand, Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe.

Pakistan squad:Shahid Afridi, Misbah-ul-Haq, Mohammad Hafeez, Kamran Akmal (wkt), Younus Khan, Asad Shafiq, Umar Akmal, Abdul Razzaq, Abdur Rehman, Saeed Ajmal, Shoaib Akhtar, Umar Gul, Wahab Riaz, Sohail Tanvir, Ahmed Shahzad

Source