PAK vs SL 2017: Pakistan Recall Mohammad Hafeez For T20Is
Oct 18, 2017 at 12:09 PM
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), on Tuesday (October 17), announced the 16-member squad for the upcoming T20 series against Sri Lanka, recalling veteran batsman Mohammad Hafeez. The right-handed batsman will replace Sohail Khan who was part of the squad that played against the World XI’s in the three-match T20I series.
Hafeez had starred for Pakistan in the final of the Champions Trophy, scoring a quickfire knock against India and was also in the team for the T20I series against West Indies in March but was surprisingly left out of the squad that faced the World XI side.
Meanwhile, left-arm pacer Mohammad Amir, who had suffered a shin injury during the Test series against the Islanders, has also been included in the squad but his participation is subject to fitness clearance. Amir had suffered the injury on the very first day of the second Test in Dubai before a subsequent MRI scan revealed the injury to his right shin.
The trio of Umar Amin, Faheem Ashraf and Aamer Yamin who were brought in for the World XI series have also retained their spots.
The first two games of the series will be played on October 26 and 27 at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi before the teams travel to Lahore for the last match on October 29. Few Sri Lankan players have raised their concerns over the visit while captain Upul Tharanga has pulled out of the final T20I, but the Sri Lankan board has assured the Islanders will visit Pakistan for the match.
Earlier this week, Pakistan skipper Sarfraz Ahmed said he was hopeful of Sri Lanka visiting the country as the security has improved.
“The security has improved in Pakistan. I hope the Sri Lankan team will come. I don’t know what the latest is but Thisara Perera was in Lahore last month with the World XI,” Sarfraz had told journalists before the second game of the ongoing ODI series.
Squad:
Sarfraz Ahmed (c&wk), Fakhar Zaman, Ahmed Shehzad, Babar Azam, Shoaib Malik, Mohammad Hafeez, Imad Wasim, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Hasan Ali, Aamer Yamin, Mohammad Amir, Rumman Raees, Usman Shinwari, Umar Amin