Published: Sep 25, 2016, 02:59 PM (IST)
Edited: Sep 25, 2016, 02:59 PM (IST)
Pakistan Sunday recalled dashing batsman Umar Akmal to their one-day squad for the upcoming series against West Indies after he was sidelined for 18 months over disciplinary problems. The 26-year-old played the last of his 111 One-Day Internationals (ODIs) in March during the 2015 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. Negative comments about Akmal’s behaviour by former head coach Waqar Younis and ex-manager Intikhab Alam almost derailed his career. He was recalled to the Twenty20 squad earlier this month after being passed over for five months. Pakistan lead the current three-match Twenty20 series against the West Indies 2-0, with the final game on Tuesday.
The first ODI is in Sharjah on Friday, followed by another at the same venue on October 2 and one in Abu Dhabi on October 5. They will also play three Tests after the limited-over series. There were also ODI recalls for batsman Asad Shafiq and pacemen Sohail Khan and Rahat Ali. Shafiq and Khan have not played since last year while Rahat was part of the team on the New Zealand tour in January. Pakistan lost their last one-day series in England 4-1 and are currently ninth in the one-day rankings.
The series will play a major role in Pakistan’s quest for automatic qualification for the 2019 World Cup, with the qualification cut-off date just 12 months away. ALSO READ: Shoaib Malik, Sohail Tanvir reach milestones
Pakistan will start the series in ninth place on the ICC ODI rankings, eight points behind the eighth-ranked West Indies. A 3-0 series victory for the hosts would keep them ahead of the the Caribbean’s and into the top eight, while at No.7 Bangladesh are also in action against Afghanistan who are ranked at No.10, who are playing three-ODI series
Squad:
Pakistan: Azhar Ali (c), Sharjeel Khan, Babar Azam, Asad Shafiq, Shoaib Malik, Sarfraz Ahmed, Umar Akmal, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Nawaz, Imad Wasim, Yasir Shah, Rahat Ali, Mohammad Amir, Wahab Riaz, Hasan Ali, Sohail Khan.
