Pakistan selectors have included three uncapped players and recalled Sohaib Maqsood from injury for the two Twenty20 Internationals against Zimbabwe later this month.
Peshawar fast bowler Imran Khan Jr., Sialkot’s offspinner Bilal Asif and allrounder Aamer Yamin were rewarded for their impressive performances in the National T20 championship.
Imran took 16 wickets in seven matches, including a hat-trick, as he spearheaded Peshawar to the title with a win over Karachi in Tuesday’s final. Asif took nine wickets in six matches, while Yamin took six wickets and also scored unbeaten 45 against Karachi in the semifinal.
“Outstanding performers ... were duly rewarded,” chief selector Haroon Rashid said on Wednesday.
The selectors hope Asif will fill a void in the off-spin department, with Saeed Ajmal yet to bowl to his full potential after remodelling his action and Mohammad Hafeez suspended from international matches due to illegal bowling action.
Maqsood has not played international cricket since Pakistan’s World Cup quarterfinal against Australia in March after fracturing his left hand. He has missed Pakistan’s last three series against Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe.
Fast bowler Anwar will miss the Twenty20s after he sustained groin injury during the national T20 tournament, but will join the team before the three one-day internationals against Zimbabwe, which begins on Oct. 1.
Wickekeeper Sarfraz Ahmed has gone to perform Hajj in Saudi Arabia and will skip the Twenty20 series.
Legspinner Yasir Shah and batsmen Babar Azam and Asad Shafiq were selected in the ODI squad which will be led by Azhar Ali.
Pakistan also named the 15-member test squad for the test series against England, starting Oct. 14 in the United Arab Emirates.
Left-handed batsman Fawad Alam has been recalled to the longer format for the first time since a test match against New Zealand at Dunedin in Nov 2009.
The selectors will include a third spinner in the test squad after monitoring the performances of uncapped Zafar Gohar and Mohammad Asghar in two practice matches against England.
“We have picked two left-arm spin bowlers for the two practice games against England and whoever performs well will be added to the test squad,” Rashid said.
Pakistan Squads
Twenty20 Shahid Afridi (captain), Mohammad Hafeez, Ahmed Shehzad, Mukhtar Ahmed, Umar Akmal, Sohaib Maqsood, Shoaib Malik, Aamer Yamin, Mohammad Irfan, Bilal Asif, Wahab Riaz, Imad Wasim, Sohail Tanvir, Mohammad Rizwan, Imran Khan Jr.
ODI Azhar Ali (captain), Mohammad Hafeez, Ahmed Shehzad, Sohaib Maqsood, Shoaib Malik, Babar Azam, Sarfraz Ahmed, Mohammad Rizwan, Immad Wasim, Anwar Ali, Wahab Riaz, Yasir Shah, Rahat Ali, Mohammad Irfan, Asad Shafiq
Test Misbah-ul-Haq (captain), Ahmed Shehzad, Shan Masood, Azhar Ali, Mohammad Hafeez, Fawad Alam, Asad Shafiq, Younis Khan, Sarfraz Ahmed, Yasir Shah, Zulfiqar Babar, Wahab Riaz, Imran Khan, Rahat Ali, Junaid Khan.
