The Pakistan cricket team has recalled former captain Younis Khan in the ODI team and dropped top order batsman Mohammad Hafeez from their Test squad for next month’s tour of Sri Lanka.
Hafeez’s struggle in Test cricket saw him being axed from the squad for the series against South Africa last year in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) before he was recalled for the series against Sri Lanka, also in the UAE.
The Dawn reported that Hafeez has managed just one half-century in his last 14 Test innings and he quit the Twenty20 captaincy in April after Pakistan’s exit from the group stage of the T20 World Cup in Bangladesh.
Middle order batsman Umar Akmal was also recalled to the 15-member Test squad that was announced on Wednesday, and the 24-year-old has returned after three years out of the side.
Chief selector Moin Khan said that pace duo of Umar Gul and Mohammad Irfan missed out on the tour due to ongoing fitness concerns, adding that they are not 100 percent fit and have been given more time to hit peak fitness.
Wicketkeeper Adnan Akmal was also dropped from the Test squad by the selectors as they replaced him with Sarfraz Ahmed, but there is no specialist wicketkeeper in the ODI squad, which leaves the recalled Akmal to take up the gloves behind the wicket for Pakistan.
Misbah-ul-Haq and his men will face Sri Lanka in two Tests and three ODIs in Sri Lanka from August 26.
Members of the Test squad are: Ahmed Shehzad, Khurram Manzoor, Shan Masood, Azhar Ali, Younus Khan, Misbah-ul-Haq (captain), Asad Shafiq, Umar Akmal, Sarfraz Ahmed, Saeed Ajmal, Abdur Rehman, Mohammad Talha, Junaid Khan, Rahat Ali, Wahab Riaz.
Members of the ODI Squad are: Ahmed Shehzad, Sharjeel Khan, Mohammad Hafeez, Misbah-ul-Haq (captain), Younus Khan, Umar Akmal, Fawad Alam, Sohaib Maqsood, Shahid Afridi, Anwar Ali, Saeed Ajmal, Junaid Khan, Mohammad Talha, Wahab Riaz, Zulfiqar Babar. (ANI)