Cricket-Pakistan decide not to boycott ICC awards

KARACHI, Sept 14 (Reuters) - Pakistan will not boycott the International Cricket Council (ICC) awards despite registering a protest over the omission of off-spinner Saeed Ajmal from the shortlist of candidates.

"We have our strong reservations over Ajmal's omission from the awards list but have decided not to boycott the ceremony but we will only be sending some squad members to the event," a spokesman for the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said on Friday.

The annual ICC ceremony will be held on Saturday in Colombo but Ajmal - the top wicket-taker in tests for the qualifying period - is not shortlisted for test cricketer of the year, ODI player of the year or international cricketer of the year.

He was picked in the ICC test team of the year.

Talk of a potential boycott had even reached Pakistan's parliament. The PCB spokesman added that no board official would attend the ceremony. (Editing by Mark Meadows; mark.meadows@thomsonreuters.com; Reuters Messaging:; mark.meadows.reuters.com@reuters.net; +44 20 7542 7933; Twitter: @mark_meadows)