Pakistan has been forced to pick two rookie 17-year-olds for its Davis Cup encounter against a full-strength Indian squad, after senior players Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi and Aqeel Khan pulled out protesting against the tie being shifted to a neutral venue.
The Pakistan Tennis Federation named teenagers Huzaifa Abdul Rehman and Shoaib Khan, both of whom are ranked 446 and 1004 respectively in the junior ITF ranking list.
Yousuf Khan and Ahmad Kamil, also teenagers, along with Amjad complete the squad.
With Pakistan’s top players Aisam and Aqeel pulling out of the tie in protest against shifting out of matches to a neutral venue, the PTF was left with no option but to pick junior players.
“It could have been a good tie but for India. We are sending junior players. Our senior Davis Cup team is not coming. We are sending our junior Davis Cup team. They are all 16-17 years old and will gain some experience,” PTF President Salim Saifullah Khan told PTI.
