Pacer Mohammad Irfan was recalled while batsman Umar Akmal, spinner Saeed Ajmal and paceman Junaid Khan were out, as a 16-member Pakistani squad for the five-match one-day international (ODI) series against Sri Lanka was announced on Friday. The five-match series starts in Dambulla on July 11. The remaining matches will be held in Pallekele (July 15), Colombo (July 19 and 22) and Hambantota (July 26) Pakistan will also play two Twenty20 matches against Sri Lanka for which a squad will be announced later.
The 33-year-old Irfan injured his hip at the World Cup in March, forcing him to miss Pakistan's crucial quarter-final against eventual champions and co-hosts Australia. Irfan's return is not expected to strength Pakistan's pace attack due to injuries to Wahab Riaz, all rounder Haris Sohail. Newcomers Mukhtar Ahmed and Bilal Asif were included in the one-day team for the first time. Mukhtar (22) has played three Twenty20 internationals this year while Asif (29) scored a hundred in the final of a non-first class domestic tournament in April. Chairman Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Shaharyar Mohammad Khan has approved Pakistan's ODI squad for the forthcoming five-match series against Sri Lanka after the recommendation of the four-member selection committee headed by Haroon Rashid. In naming the ODI squad, the selection committee had also consulted with the Pakistan team management including Head Coach Waqar Younis and skipper Azhar Ali, a PCB spokesman said.
The ODI series commences on July 11, with the remaining four games scheduled for July15, July 19, July 22 and July 26. Chief Selector Haroon Rashid said: "Wahab Riaz, Haris Sohail and Sohaib Maqsood were not available for selection due to injuries. While Haris Sohail and Sohaib Maqsood have been ruled out of the ODI series, the rehab process of Wahab Riaz is being monitored and our medical panel is expected to rescan his injured left hand around the middle of this month to find out the recovery process."
"It is hoped that he (Wahab) recovers well in time to be available for the last two ODIs and if he is declared fit by the medical panel, selection committee might consider sending him over depending the situation of the series after consulting the team management. Mukhtar Ahmed has shown tremendous improvement during this period and performed well at international level in T20 format. Selection committee feels that it is the right time to assess his potential in the one-day format by giving him an opportunity," Haroon said, adding: "Bilal Asif has also shown that he is a powerful hitter in the lower order and also a handy off-spinner and could fill the gap in case Mohammad Hafeez's action is not cleared after his retesting in Chennai. Team Pakistan has a packed schedule from here onwards and the selectors feel that new faces have to be inducted to assess their credentials at international level." Pakistan desperately needs series win against the Sri Lanka to have any chance of qualifying for the 2017 Champions Trophy in England. Pakistan are currently ninth in the one-day rankings and need to move up a place in order to play the Champions Trophy.
Squad: Azhar Ali (captain), Mukhtar Ahmed, Ahmed Shezad, Mohammad Hafeez, Asad Shafiq, Shoaib Malik, Mohammad Rizwan, Babar Azam, Sarfraz Ahmed (vice captain), Yasir Shah, Bilal Asif, Immad Wasim, Anwar Ali, Mohammad Irfan, Ehsan Adil, Rahat Ali.