Pakistan drop tainted trio from England tour

TAUNTON - The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Thursday ruled out the tainted trio of captain Salman Butt and pacers Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamer for the rest of England tour with team manager Yawar Saeed declaring that reinforcements will be called next week.

“The squad will remain what is here this morning for the T20 matches. Once we play these two Twenty20 game, we will ask for replacements for the one-day matches,” Yawar told reporters here at the County Ground just before the start of Pakistan’s practice match against Somerset here.

Yawar, however, rejected the impression that the three players have been suspended.

“No, they’ve not been suspended,” he said but did not give any explanation.

“We have 13. We will get three more to make it 16 again for the five ODIs,” he said when asked why the three players will not be a part of the squad any more if they have not been suspended.

Yawar said his team will continue with the assignment without the trio, who are their key players. “One has to play without a lot of guys. Lot of great guys have come and gone.”

Yawar didn’t disclose as to which players will be called from Pakistan.

“The selectors will decide. We will ask them who we need and they will take a decision,” he said.