Published: Jun 03, 2015, 01:34 PM (IST)
Edited: Jun 03, 2015, 02:06 PM (IST)
Pakistan on Wednesday axed star bowler Saeed Ajmal from their squad to tour Sri Lanka. The squad announced for the three-Test series did not have the star spinner, who was not as effective as he was in the past, after he made a comeback with a remodelled bowling action. Pakistan will be touring Sri Lanka in July-August this year.
Misbah-Ul-Haq will be leading the team while One-Day International (ODI) captain Azhar Ali has been made his deputy. Pakistan will also be playing five ODIs and three Twenty20 Internationals on the tour, after the conclusion of the three-Test series. READ: Angelo Mathews retained as Test, ODI skipper, Lasith Malinga to lead in T20Is for Sri Lanka
Ajmal’s exclusion from the Test side comes as a surprise because the right-handed spinner has been the flagbearer of the Pakistani bowling attack in the last couple of years, guiding them to many victories in the subcontinent while the national team continued to reel. The absence of Ajmal means Yasir Shah and Zulfiqar Babar will have to take the responsibility.
Pakistan have recalled opener Ahmed Shehzad to the Test side for the cricket tour of Sri Lanka, a quick comeback for the batsman after being dropped for the series against Bangladesh in April-May on disciplinary grounds. Besides Shehzad, the selectors also recalled another out of favour opener, the southpaw Shan Masood after he was ignored for the last few series and tournaments. READ: Ahmed Shehzad all set to be recalled in Pakistan Test squad
Chief selector, Haroon Rasheed said that Shehzad had been given a chance since he remained a strong player for Pakistan in Tests and was improving. “Shehzad, like others, was clear for selection and so we had no issues picking him,” he said. READ: Bangladesh or Pakistan: Who will qualify for ICC Champions Trophy 2017?
Head coach Waqar Younis and captain Misbah-u-Haq had both suggested to the cricket board after the World Cup to drop Shehzad and Umar Akmal and make them play domestic cricket for a year as both of them needed to improve their attitude in general. Rasheed said the selectors had delayed announcing the squad because of fitness related matters with fast bowlers like Rahat Ali, Sohail Khan and Ehsan Adil. “Adil was cleared and has been picked but the other two still require more time,” the chief selector said.
Rasheed also made it clear that young promising players like left-arm spinner Muhammad Asghar, leg-spinner Osama Mir and all-rounder Bilal Asif would be considered later on for either the one-day or T20 matches in Sri Lanka. The first Test against Sri Lanka is scheduled from June 17 at Galle. He said if need arose, a 16th player could be sent for the three Tests because of the weather conditions in Sri Lanka.
Squad: Misbah-ul-Haq (c), Azhar Ali, Mohammad Hafeez, Ahmed Shehzad, Shan Masood, Younis Khan, Asad Shafiq, Haris Sohail, Sarfraz Ahmed (wk), Yasir Shah, Zulfiqar Babar, Wahab Riaz, Junaid Khan, Imran Khan, Ehsan Adil
(With inputs from AFP and PTI)
