Qasim said on Wednesday, “They remain valuable players for us. They have just been rested for the One-day series against Australia as we will be playing some tough series in the next few months and we need them back to their best.”

“It is a wrong impression we dropped them. They are senior players and we just want them to take a break and come aback afresh with their confidence high,” Qasim, a former Test spinner, shared.

The selectors have rested former Captain Younis Khan, who scored just five runs from four games in Pakistan’s recent tour of Sri Lanka, as well as fast bowler Umar Gul, who picked up just four wickets in the Sri Lanka series. Khan has so far played 245 one-days for Pakistan, scoring 6,824 runs, but his last hundred came four years ago.

Qasim said about Gul, “He is a pace bowler and tries very hard and he is not getting his line and length right because of fatigue perhaps. We have advised him to go to the national academy and train there and work out his bowling problems.”

“There is no doubt we need both of them for the upcoming tours to India and South Africa. They figure very much in our plans,” he said.

Sources close to the Chief Selector told media that Qasim, before announcing the squad, had spoken to Khan.

“Qasim told him that the selectors wanted him to take a break from the game and practice and get back into the runs,” the source said.

“Qasim conveyed clearly to Younis that the selectors wanted him to perform like a senior player and get big scores,” he added.