Kaneria awaits selectors nod

Leg-spinner Danish Kaneria has made himself available for Pak's coming one-day matches against India and Scotland.

Keen to play for the country, leg-spinner Danish Kaneria has made himself available for Pakistan's coming one-day matches against India and Scotland but feels his selection remains in doubt.

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"I have given my availability to the selectors but I don't know what they plan to do and what they have in mind. For my part, I am very keen to play in the coming series particularly since we have a game against India," Kaneria told PTI from England where he is playing for Essex.

Depsite being picked in the World Cup squad at the last moment, Kaneria has not been a regular member of the one-day squad as the selectors have preferred to go with the utility allround players like Shahid Afridi, Shoaib Malik and Abdul Hafeez who can bat and bowl spin.

He has taken 198 wickets in 46 Tests and made just 18 ODI appearances in the last seven years since his debut.

Kaneria said he saw a future for himself in one-day cricket as he had been playing a lot of this cricket for Essex and doing well.

"I want to be a complete cricketer who can play in both forms of the game and perform as well. I have even worked on developing my bowling according to the requirements of one-day cricket," he said.

Kaneria said Pakistan had done well after the World Cup to win the Abu Dhabi series against Sri Lanka after the World Cup disappointment.

"The team performed well under Shoaib Malik and it was a great boost for them to win the series."

Only the second Hindu to play for Pakistan, Kaneria has signed a fresh one-year contract for the 2008 summer season with Essex.