The warm up game up in Lahore concluded as a predictable draw. Pakistan A captain Hasan Raza declared the innings at 358-9 (still 56 behind) after Faisal Iqbal made an attractive 87. But the Indian openers then batted their merry way to 72-0 in just 13 overs, at a run rate of five and half runs an over, leaving the Indian selectors with a tough job to decide who to pick as a partner for Virendar Sehwag for Friday’s first test, Sehwag him self talked to reporters after the match, here’s what he said.

Pakistan in the meanwhile announced their squad, and as expected first innings centurion Imran Farhat earned a recall. It would have been interesting to know though what the selectors would have done in case Yasir Hameed hadn’t fallen out of contention. Typhoid has turned out to be quite a curse for the Pakistan team off late, first Abdul Razzaq contracted it and now Yasir Hameed has been confirmed to suffer from it as well.

A vaccine against typhoid was first developed more than a century ago in 1898, I learned this back in grade 9. And since then many new, and better vaccinations have been developed I have subsequently learned, the most expensive ones can guarantee upto 75 per cent affective prevention against Typhoid, I wonder if Razzaq and Hameed were vaccinated, and if they weren’t, then you have to ask why?

It isn’t clear yet (to me at least) if Razzaq has fully recovered, and given one of the ways Typhoid spreads is via the food or drink that has been handled by someone shedding the bacteria, it might be a very good idea the rest of the team get them selves protected as soon as possible.

Back to the selection of the squad, Asim Kamal found his way out, but he can hardly blame anyone but him self. I still think five years done the line he’s much more likely to be in the team then every single young batsman in the country now, but off late he just hasn’t got enough runs.

Also predictably, but sadly, Mohammad Sami has retained his place. He was out yesterday pointing out to reporters how unlucky he has been at times (which is in part true), but forgetting that sighting bad luck as an excuse for averaging over 40 after nearly 25 tests is only going to give his give more fuel to the deliberation that he takes his place in the side for granted.

I would have preferred if he came out instead and admitted to bowling downright crap, rather then talk of flat batting pitches he’s bowled on or catches dropped of his bowling. Neither of which, I may add is a misfortune singular to him, every bowler in the world gets his fair share of feather beds to work bloody hard on, as do they get catches dropped of their bowling.

Only difference being the superior ones are good enough to still get enough wickets to average in between 20-25. But the captain and coach being head over heals in love with you has its advantages I suppose.

The other quick bowling berth in the 15 man squad goes to Mohammad Asif, who was preferred over Umar Gul, which, given how Gul bowled in the warm up game and taking into consideration Asif’s performance in his one-day debut in earlier against England, is a fair enough call. The rest of squad selects it self.