Pacers Shaheen Afridi and Hasan Ali were ruled out due to illness and injury, as chief selector Misbah-ul-Haq on Saturday announced a 16-member squad for the three One-day International (ODI) matches series against Sri Lanka, set to played on September 27, 29 and October 2 in Karachi. Shaheen Afridi is down with dengue fever while Hasan was ruled out because of back spasm.
"Hassan Ali was originally part of the Pakistan squad but he felt a back spasm; according to the physiotherapist, Hasaan cannot be a part of the team right now. Let's see how soon he can get fit," explained Misbah during a press conference, here on Saturday.
Veteran batsman Mohammad Hafeez kept off due to his commitments in the Caribbean Premier League, said head coach and chief selector Misbah-ul-Haq. Abid Ali, Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan, Usman Shinwari and Mohammad Hasnain have all earned recalls. The squad for the three T20Is against Sri Lanka in Lahore will be announced during the One-day series. Until then, the other players in the probable camp will continue to get training at the NCA.
Misbahul Haq said "after thorough discussions with the members of the selection committee and meticulous planning, I feel we have put together the best possible squad. These are the only 50-over matches we play this season and we want to make their optimum use. Over the course of my cricketing career, I have realised there are no easy games and there are no easy opponents in cricket." But, a season-opening series is crucial for setting the tone. It is extremely important that we produce solid performances and have favourable results as it will build the confidence of our players and help in carrying the momentum," said Misbah.
He added "the five boys, who have been recalled, were straightforward selections. Iftikhar Ahmed is a batsman who can also bowl off-spin and provides the captain with necessary bowling depth as Sri Lanka boasts a few left-handers in their ranks. Mohammad Nawaz has been performing well in domestic matches. Despite their strong performances, Mohammad Rizwan, Usman Shinwari and Abid Ali were unlucky to miss out the World Cup squad. This is, however, a perfect opportunity for these players to prove their mettle in international cricket and cement their place in the one-day side."
Answering a query, Misbah said that captain Sarfaraz Ahmed and Rizwan have different roles and Rizwan could be in the playing eleven as a fielder. "If someone has scored two hundreds at No. 4 you have to give him a chance," Misbah said, adding: "You have added advantage of having two wicketkeepers, fitness wise he is very good ... we are trying to encourage such players and we will try to give them matches whenever we have a chance."
The ODI squad:
Sarfaraz Ahmed (captain); Babar Azam (vice-captain); Abid Ali; Asif Ali; Fakhar Zaman; Haris Sohail; Iftikhar Ahmed; Imad Wasim; Imam-ul-Haq; Mohammad Amir; Mohammad Hasnain; Mohammad Nawaz; Mohammad Rizwan; Shadab Khan; Usman Shinwari and Wahab Riaz.