The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced the Pakistan squads for their upcoming West Indies and England tours. The side will play three ODIs and as many T20Is in England from July 8-20, before taking on world champions West Indies in five T20Is that will be followed by two Tests.
Azam Khan, son of former captain Moin Khan, is the only uncapped player named in the squad for the twin tours. Haris Sohail has been named in the ODI side, while Imad Wasim returns to bolster the T20I side. Fast bowlers Mohammad Abbas and Naseem Shah have returned to the Test side.
Leg-spinner Yasir Shah is still recuperating from his knee injury and his inclusion is subject to fitness. Therefore PCB has retained leg-spinner, Zahid Mahmood, along with left-arm spinner Nauman Ali and off-spinner Sajid Khan for the Jamaica Tests.
Shoaib Akhtar determined to groom young Pakistan pacers into tearaway fast bowlers
Uncapped Saud Shakeel and Salman Ali Agha have been called up for ODIS.
Chief selector Muhammad Wasim said: "We have remained consistent in our selection and kept the same core of cricketers who have been in the set-up for a while. This is an extremely important and critical tour for Pakistan as we will be playing the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup Super League ODIs against England as well as the T20Is against England and the West Indies as part of our preparations for the ICC Men's T20 World Cup. The Jamaica Test will count towards the ICC World Test Championship.”
"As such, keeping in view the above and in consultation with captain Babar Azam and head Misbah-ul-Haq, we have tried our best to maintain the winning combinations but at the same time recalled four experienced players and rewarded uncapped Azam Khan for his domestic performance, while also giving him the required confidence for the future challenges."
Pakistan ODI squad:
Babar Azam (captain), Shadab Khan (vice-captain), Abdullah Shafique, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haider Ali, Haris Rauf, Haris Sohail, Hasan Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper), Salman Ali Agha, Sarfaraz Ahmed (wicketkeeper), Saud Shakeel, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usman Qadir.
Pakistan T20I squad:
Babar Azam (captain), Shadab Khan (vice-captain), Arshad Iqbal, Azam Khan, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haider Ali, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Hafeez, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper), Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Sarfaraz Ahmed (wicketkeeper), Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sharjeel Khan, Usman Qadir
Pakistan Test Squad:
Babar Azam (captain), Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper-vice-captain), Abdullah Shafique, Abid Ali, Azhar Ali, Faheem Ashraf, Fawad Alam, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Imran Butt, Mohammad Abbas), Mohammad Nawaz, Naseem Shah, Nauman Ali, Sajid Khan, Sarfaraz Ahmed (wicketkeeper), Saud Shakeel, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shahnawaz Dahani, Yasir Shah (subject to fitness), Zahid Mahmood
(ANI inputs)
