There are 5 uncapped players in Pakistan's 30 probables for the Champions Trophy including Anwar Ali, whom we have talked about several times, in addition to some new names that have appeared on a Pakistan team sheet for the first time.

Here's a glimpse on who they are.

Ahmed Shehzad: This boy from Lahore is only 16 years old and has been a successful opener for the Pakistan U-19 team and for Lahore.

Shehzad made his frst class debut in the 2006-07 season playing for Lahore, though it was this season (2007-08) that he established himself as one of the most promising upcoming cricketers in Pakistan.

Even though he didn't taste success in first-class cricket, Shehzad had a very successful List A season opening for the Lahore Eagles scoring 360 runs in 8 innings at an average of 51.42.

He played his debut List A match against the visiting South Africans last October and impressed with an aggressive 35 at the top of the order against the likes of Pollock, Ntini, and Nel.

On the U-19 circuit, Shehzad has been one of the best batsmen around. He was the 2nd highest run scorer for Pakistan in the U-19 World Cup earlier this year, and also impressed everyone with his strokeplay in youth tests and ODIs against England and Australia last year.

His 2nd innings 167 was instrumental in leading Pakistan to a 3 wicket win over England in the 2nd Youth test that helped Pakistan draw the 2-test series 1-1.

Against the touring U19 Australians, Shehzad played a major part in leading Pakistan to a 5-0 sweep of the ODI series with a 115 in the 3rd ODI and an unbeaten 99 in the 5th.

Chances: This call up should act as a confidence booster for Shehzad and during the camp next month, it would do him good to get some advice from the likes of Misbah, Salman Butt, and Younis Khan. He wouldn't be expecting a call to the final 15, though he would know that with another 3-4 years of successful domestic seasons, he has a good chance of playing for Pakistan.

Azhar Ali: Another young boy from Lahore, Azhar has been around the domestic scene for a number of seasons, however it was this season that he caught the eye of the selectors during the ABN Amro One-Day Cup Competition.

Playing for Khan Research Laboratories (KRL), Azhar impressed with a string of performances displaying his form in each outing with scores of 106*, 49, 60, 119, 88, 47, and 67.

Azhar finished the ABN Amro Cup as the leading run scorer with 558 runs in 9 innings at an average of 79.71 that led him to being the only non-international batsmen among the leading run scorers in List A games for the 2007-08 season in Pakistan.

He also had a fairly successful first class season scoring 603 runs at an average of 50 with 4 centuries and a 50.

Chances: With Mohammad Yousuf missing in action, the selectors could be bold and draft in Azhar Ali who has shown immense potential as a middle order batsman in domestic cricket. Though I think the selectors would prefer to go in with tried and tested names such as Mohamma Hafeez, Yasir Hameed, and Bazid Khan. If Azhar can continue to display the same form in the coming seasons, he could soon find himself fitting into the Ageing Pakistani middle order.

Mohammad Aamer: This Rawal Pindi boy recently made the headlines when Wasim Akram mentioned in an interview that he would draft this 16 year old left arm fast bowler into the national set up right away.

Wasim Akram had pointed out Aamer during the same fast bowlers camp last year, in which he had spotted Sohail Tanvir.

Aamer played his first List A game as recently as March in this season's ABN Amro One Day Cup Competition, in which he represented the Rawal Pindi Rams. He was impressive on his debut itself picking up figures of 3-35.

In 8 matches in the ABN Amro cup, Aamer picked up 14 wickets at 21.92 finishing among the leading wicket takers in the competition.

Prior to this, Aamer had also impressed at the U19 level. He started this yearsU19 World Cup with a figures of 3-12 against Malaysia, however due to a viral infection he missed the rest of the tournament.

At that time Pakistan U19 coach Mansoor Rana had claimed that Aamer was their best bowler, which he had showed in previous matches for the U19s including two 4-wkt hauls in the tri-series leading up to the U19 World Cup that led him to be the leading wicket taker in that tournament.

Chances: With Mohammad Asif suspended, Shoaib Akhtar's inclusion unconfirmed, and Umar Gul under an injury cloud, Aamer could find himself fast-tracked into the final squad of 15 for the Champions Trophy. Wasim Akram has already called for his inclusion and with Sohail Tanvir there as proof, one would be foolish to ignore Wasim Akram's suggestions. Pakistan' bowling resources have looked extremely thin in recent times due to more factor than one and an exciting 16 year old may bring some life into the pace attack.

Mohammad Ali: This 18 year old right arm fast bowler has no claim to fame apart from the fact that he hails from Shoaib Malik's hometown and plays for the Sialkot Stallions, the same team that the Pakistan skipper represents in domestic cricket.

I can only assume that was the reason behind including Ali in the 30 because other than that he hasn't done anything of note to demand the attention of the selectors.

He has played only 4 List A games making his debut in this season's ABN Amro One Day Cup Competition picking up 6 wickets at 25.50.

It is difficult to believe that Malik has that sort of influence over the selectors or the PCB, so I'll just think that the selectors had some good reason for including this boy in the 30.

Maybe to appease Malik?

Who knows.

Chances: Who knows. Maybe Malik wants to play the Sialkot team instead of Pakistan.

Shahid Afridi held aloft the Pentangular Trophy after Sindh beat Punjab by an innings to become the Pentangular Cup 2007-08 Champions.

When I reported at the end of play on day 2 of the match, I predicted an innings win. I've done it before on Soulberry's blog and I've done it here now. I think I should quit blogging and open a up a cricket betting business or something like that. Any takers?

(Uncle J - I took this tip from your part 2 of a 'guide to writing a cricket blog'. Bold prediction, but I didn't edit)

Resuming their innings 119 runs ahead at 303/6, Sarfraz Ahmed (82*) and Anwar Ali (33*) - the captain and star of the 2006 U19 world cup win respectively, led Sindh to a match winning total of 417 with an unbroken 8th wicket partnership of 88 runs before Afridi declared the innings 233 runs ahead.

Punjab's star-studded batting line up, for the 2nd time in the match, folded in front of the pace of Sohail Khan and Anwar Ali and the spin of skipper Afridi. Punjab were bowled out for 202 as Afridi picked up 3 top order wickets and Anwar Ali wiped out the tail with the last 4 wickets in quick succession.

Brief Scores:
Sindh beat Punjab by an innings & 31 runs.
Punjab 1st innings 184 (Sohail Khan 4-58, Shahid Afridi 2-25)
Sindh 1st innings 417-7 declared (Sarfraz Ahmed 82*, Faisal Iqbal 65, Wahab Riaz 4-99)
Punjab 2nd innings 202 (Misbah 51, Anwar Ali 4-45, Shahid Afridi 3-60, Sohail Khan 2-41)

On day 3 of the Pentangular Trophy, Pakistan opener Salman Butt hit a career best 290 to lead Punjab to an imposing total of 599-7 declared, leading Federal Capital by 216 runs. Salman past his previous first class best of 206 and scored at almost run a ball for his 290. What was most astonishing about his innings was the significent percentage of runs hat came from boundaries - he hit FIFTY 4s and a six. He got to his previous first class best in boundaries alone!

He was ably supported by Nasir Jamshed, who continued his amazing form this season with a polished 108. Nasir shared a 290 run 2nd wicket partnership with Salman. Nasir's knock was unlike his swashbuckling ODI innings against Zimbabwe and he took up 180 odd deliveries for his century. I hope that this boy is here to stay and he's not another Nazir or Farhat in the making.

Mohammad Yousuf hit a rapid 56 of as many deliveries with 9 hits to the fence, while Misbah (9) and Kamran Akmal (23) lost their wickets in an effort to score fast. The Capital bowlers led by Shoaib Akhtar were listless for the entire day. Akhtar and Yasir Arafat bowled 18 overs each without any luck, while Sohail Tanvir bowled 25 giving away over a 100 runs and picking up the lone wicket on the previous day.

Federal Capital ended day 3 on 37-3 with the top 3 back in the hut and still 179 behind Punjab with 1 day to go.

In the other game, Sindh turned the tables once more on NWFP and are on their way to victory needing another 179 runs with all their wickets intact.

Resuming their innings on 146-3, only 3 runs behind, NWFP folded for 254, as Pakistan leg spinner Danish Kaneria ran through their middle and lower order with 5 wickets. Danish ended with 5-62 of 25 overs and was well backed up by young pacer Anwar Ali (3-66). NWFP skipper Younis Khan was the only one to put up some resistance scoring 111 with 19 boundaries, before falling to the spin of his counterpart Shahid Afridi.

Chasing 309, the Sindh openers Khurram Manzoor and Khalid Latif batted watchfully to ensure they don't repeat their 1st inning failures. It paid of for them as Sindh ended the day on 130 without losing any wicket. Khurram was unbeaten on 74 and Khalid on 56.

So after a day of turning tables, the favorites Punjab and Sindh are back in the driving seats and look set to end victorious on the final day.

From a Pakistani point of view, the selectors should be pleased to see in-form openers led by Salman Butt and Nasir Jamshed, Khurram Manzoor, and Khalid Latif. Add Hafeez to that mix I think Pakistan has a decent pool to rely on in ODIs and Tests. Yousuf and Younis have also looked in good touch, while Kaneria's form with the ball is a good sign as he has had a below par domestic and international season.

Stay tuned for the final day's results.

Congrats to all the Indians for managing to beat Pakistan in a test series at home for the first time in 27 years. It could have been 2-0 or even 3-0 had the Indians prepared less batting friendly wickets. In my preview of the test series I had made some predictions and here's how wrong I was. To recap, I had said the following:

"I predict results in all 3 matches, a decider at Bangalore, 500+ runs for Sachin Tendulkar, 20 wickets for Shoaib Akhtar, a Yuvi 100 in the 3rd test where he would have replaced Laxman, 2 centuries for Faisal Iqbal, question marks over Dravid's lack of runs, a career ending series for Kamran Akmal, the retention of Anil Kumble as captain for the series against Australia, and praise for skipper Shoaib Malik."

There was only 1 result, Bangalore wasn't a decider, Sachin didn't get 500+ but Ganguly did, Shoaib didn't get 20 wickets and no one else did either, Yuvraj did get the 100 but he hadn't replaced Laxman, Faisal didn't get 2 centuries but Misbah did, Dravid's form is being questioned, Akmal's batting form saved his a$$, Anil Kumble has been retained and praised, and Malik conveniently sat out the series.

Clearly the crystal ball isn't functioning well.

Top 5 of the series

1. Misbah Ul Haq - The 464 runs at an average of 116.00 don't speak as loudly as the manner in which they were scored. Batting with the tail in each test he managed scores of 82, 161*, and 133* and bailed Pakistan out of trouble each time. Had he not jumped in the 1st test he would have walked off not out in that innings too. He was the difference between a 1-0 and a 3-0 scoreline in this series. Hats off to the man. Pakistan have found the perfect replacement for Inzamam.

2. Saurav Ganguly - 534 runs at 89.00, 4 wickets at 19.25, a test best of 239, and a man of the series award. Who would have thought that a man fighting for his place in the test side a year ago would deliver in this way. Many thought his international career was over and many were calling for Yuvraj to replace him but Ganguly ended the series as the top scorer on both sides. People may say that he got a double hundred, a hundred, and a 91 against a below average bowling attack but it was the same attack that Sachin and Dravid faced. For me his best innings was the 48 at the fag end of the 4th day of the 1st test - the way he played on a pitch that other batsmen found impossible to bat on showed the kind of form he was in.

3. Anil Kumble - As always he was at his best with the ball. He was the highest wicket taker in the series with 18 wickets at 26.50. He kept at it like he always does. His captaincy though I am not impressed with. In the 1st test he looked very good but then a victory makes every captain look good but in the following 2 tests he wasn't attacking enough, lacked innovation in the field, lost his cool several times when the wickets weren't coming, and appealed desperately. Australia will be a test for him, especially when his own wickets will dry up.

4. Wasim Jaffer - This man will open for India for the next decade and get plenty of runs. With the bat, he reminds me of Azharuddin in his younger days. The double hundred he got was an exquisite and flawless knock and he had a very bright future to look forward to. He was the 2nd highest run scorer for India after Ganguly and that is some feat considering he plays in the same XI as Sachin, Dravid, and Laxman.

5. Yuvraj Singh - In the only test he played he scored 169 on the 1st day and took 2 wickets on the last day. And yet he doesn't have a permanent place in India's XI. Goes to show how much stronger the Indian team was going into this series. Its hard to keep Yuvi out of a top performer list these days - he has been in the best form of his life this year and India need to find a way to fit him into the team sheet before Kumble goes out for the toss with Ricky Ponting in 2 weeks.

Players for the Future

Yasir Arafat - His morning spell on his 1st day of test cricket could have squared the series for Pakistan but Ganguly and Yuvi had different ideas. He bowled with pace and aggression and looked the fittest of all Pakistani pace bowlers. He has been on the fringes of selection for a long time now and had a brilliant debut with both ball and bat - looks like a bright future is ahead of him.

Ishant Sharma - are you kidding me? No chance in hell. Those who criticized him before he took his 5 wicket haul were right when they said the man doesn't have it for this level. He proved them right in Pakistan's 2nd innings as well. Ganguly's grand mom could have taken a 5-for against Pakistan's tail the way they played during this series.

Sohail Tanvir - He needs to work a bit with Wasim Akram and learn how to get the ball back in but he's a star in the making. I can feel it. The ball he got Dravid with in the 1st test will remain in memory just like Shoaib Akhtar's yorkers from the 99 tour to India.

Disappointments of the Series

Danish Kaneria - Much was expected from him and he flattered all of us with his shorter run up and all that jazz in the 1st test. But from thereon it was down hill. Pakistan need a quality spinner and they need one soon.

Mohammad Yousuf - his form of last season has ditched him and an average of 32.00 is well below his standards. Pakistan needed him more than ever without an Inzi to follow but Pakistan's premier batsman failed to deliver.

Dinesh Karthik - Prior to this series he was India's highest scorer in tests during 2007, but against Pakistan he just couldn't get going till his last innings of the series. Moreover his performance behind the stumps would have put a smile on Akmal's face.

Other Ramblings

The only reason I haven't put Shoaib Akhtar on that list is because I have realised that an unfit Akhtar is better than a fit Pakistan bowling attack put together. The man managed 3 tests in a row - how many times has he done this before?

Mohammad Sami gets full marks for trying but his days as a bowler look over. Maybe Pakistan can use him to solve their opening problems.

India go of to Australia now and I'm looking forward to that series - it has the potential to be a cracker!

Pakistan, on the other hand will host Zimbabwe for a 5 match ODI series and that should be a good opportunity to test some fresh legs. The likes of Khalid Latif, Anwar Ali, Fawad Alam, Najaf Shah, and Sarfraz Ahmed should get the chance to show their talent in that series. Let see if the selectors agree with me. Knowing how the selectors' minds and my crystal ball function, not many of those names will feature in the squad when its announced.

Soulberry asked me about a few young cricketers who are currently prominent in the domestic scene in Pakistan. This post is for you berry.

Anwar Ali
Anwar Ali was a member of the Pakistan U-19 team that won the world cup in 2006. He is a fast bowler and was the one who destroyed India's batting line up in the final of the U-19 WC picking up 5 wickets with his banana inswingers. Click here to view footage of those wickets. He has been playing for Karachi and PIA in the Pakistan domestic season for the last 2 years and many consider him to be the future of Pakistan's bowling attack. He's only 21 and should be playing for Pakistan in the next 2 years.

Imad Wasim, Ali Asad, and Adil Raza
All these 3 are members of the current Pakistan U-19 team that is playing a series against the touring Bangladesh team. Imad Wasim is the captain of the side and is expected to lead them in the U-19 world cup in February as well. He is a left arm spinner and a lower order hard hitting batsman. He's played a few first class games for Islamabad and has done very well with the ball.

Ali Asad is the wicketkeeper of the U-19 team and made his first class debut for Karachi this season. He is playing for Karachi as a specialist batsman and has already scored a 100 and a 50 in the current season while opening the batting. He was also a member of the U-19 team that won the 2006 world cup.

Adil Raza is ony 15 years old and is a pace bowler. During the U-19 camp this summer, Wasim Akram mentioned that he was the most promising bowler out of the lot that he saw. Adil is yet to play a first class game but he played for the U-19 side against Australia last month and Bangladesh recently. He took 5 wickets in one of the ODIs against Australia U-19, a series that Pakistan won 5-0.

It is still too early to say if they have the potential to play for Pakistan in the longer term.

Najaf Shah and Kashif Raza
Najaf Shah is a left arm fast bowler who opens the attack for PIA along with Anwar Ali. Najaf made his ODI debut this year in May against Sri Lanka in the series played in Abu Dhabi and went wicketless in his 10 overs. He's been on the domestic circuit for over 5 years now and is considered as one of the best pacers around - he has about 250 wickets in 50 odd games. He's only 22 and is always nudging the selectors with his domestic performances.

Kashif Raza is a right arm fast bowler and has played 1 ODI for Pakistan way back in 2001 against Sri Lanka in Sharjah and took 1 wicket. Since then Kashif has been a star performer for his first class side WAPDA where he's picked up close to 300 wickets in 80 odd first class games.

I never understand these one match wonders - why don't the selectors persist with them? Both Najaf and Kashif picked up 5 wicket hauls in their last first class game this week.

Zulqarnain Haider
He is a wicketkeeper and was in the Pakistan squad as reserve keeper on the tour of South Africa earlier this year and on the tour to England last summer. Despite Akmal's poor performance he was not given a chance in any of the matches apart from the 20-20 game against South Africa. He has been around the domestic scene for 4 years and many have called for him to replace Akmal in the side. For the current tour of India, however the PCB went ahead with U-19 world cup winning captain Sarfraz Ahmed as the reserve keeper who made his debut in the 5th ODI.

If Akmal is dropped from the side you can expect Pakistan to give both Zulqarnain and Sarfraz ample chances at the international level.

Hasnain Abbas
Hasnain is an opener and has been around the domestic scene for almost 6 years, but he hasn't done anything of note yet for the selectors to notice him. He hasn't played that much and is still a fringe player in first class cricket.