Australia vs Pakistan: Mohammad Hafeez gets ODI call up after being initially overlooked

Karachi: Pakistan allrounder Mohammad Hafeez was drafted into the national squad as the 16th member for the five match one-day series against Australia, selectors said on Saturday.

The 36-year-old was left out of the 15-man squad but was handed a late call up.

“The selection committee received a request from Pakistan team management comprising coach Mickey Arthur and captain Azhar Ali for sending Hafeez to Australia for the one-day series,” said a Pakistan Cricket Board release.

Hafeez scored two half-centuries and took 11 wickets in the recent national one-day cup in Pakistan.

He was not selected for the Test series after a poor performance against England last summer.

In November he cleared a bowling action test after serving a 12-month suspension.

His action was deemed illegal for a second time in July 2014, resulting in a suspension.

Australia thrashed Pakistan by 220 runs in the third and final Test in Sydney on Saturday to complete a 3-0 whitewash.

It was the fourth time Pakistan have been whitewashed in Australia following routs in 1999, 2004 and 2010.

The first of the five ODIs will be played in Brisbane on Friday (13 January).

The next matches will be in Melbourne (15 January), Perth (19 January), Sydney (22 January) and Adelaide (26 January).