Daily Times

LAHORE: Pakistan cricket selectors dropped experienced all-rounder Mohammad Hafeez and misfiring opener Kamran Akmal from a 16-man squad named on Friday for a three-match Twenty20 series against a World XI side next month. The series, to be played in Lahore and given international status by the International Cricket Council, is seen as an attempt to revive international cricket in Pakistan. The three-match series will commence from September 12, with the remaining two matches scheduled to take place on September 13 and September 15, at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. “The team have been selected keeping in mind the conditions and the recent performances of some players in the domestic and international tours,” said chief selector Inzamamul Haq. Sarfraz Ahmad will lead the side also having services of all-rounders Faheem Ashraf, who was part of Pakistan’s ICC Champions Trophy-winning squad, and Aamer Yamin, and batsman Umar Amin who have been recalled by the selectors. Hafeez and Kamran were part of Pakistan’s squad for the tour of the West Indies in March this year but were unable to keep their spot due to lack of performances. Also out from that squad are Sohail Tanveer and Wahab Riaz.

Yamin, who last played for Pakistan in 2015, and Amin, whose last appearance for the country came in 2014, returned, thanks to strong domestic performances. Yamin was the leading wicket-taker in the 50-over Pakistan Cup with nine wickets to add to 163 runs in four innings at a strike-rate of 140.51. Amin, meanwhile, was the top scorer for Punjab with 296 runs in three innings at an average of 98.66 and strike-rate of 106.47. Ashraf finished as the second-highest wicket-taker in the Pakistan Cup behind Yamin with eight wickets. Pakistan have not hosted international cricket — barring a short limited over series against Zimbabwe in 2015 — since terrorists’ attacks on the Sri Lankan team bus in Lahore in March 2009. The World XI will be led by South African skipper Faf du Plessis and will have 13 other players from seven Test playing countries.

Inzamam believed the series would give youngsters a chance to mature. “The squad are a combination of the fine blend of youth and senior players. It will be good for the young players to get a chance to play on the home ground and perform in front of the local public”, maintained Inzamam. Sohail Khan, who was the joint-third highest wicket-taker in the Pakistan Cup, Ruman Raees, Hasan Ali and Usman Khan, who last played international cricket in 2013, are part of a bowling group led by Mohammad Amir, who had been rested for the T20 leg of the West Indies tour.

Pakistan squad: Sarfraz Ahmad (captain), Fakhar Zaman, Ahmad Shahzad, Babar Azam, Shoaib Malik, Umar Amin, Imad Wasim, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Hasan Ali, Aamer Yamin, Mohammad Amir, Ruman Raees, Usman Shinwari and Sohail Khan.

World XI squad: Faf du Plessis (captain, South Africa), Hashim Amla (South Africa), Samuel Badree (WI), Darren Sammy (WI), George Bailey (Australia), Paul Collingwood (England), Ben Cutting (Australia), Grant Elliott (New Zealand), Tamim Iqbal (Bangladesh), David Miller (South Africa), Morne Morkel (South Africa), Tim Paine (wicketkeeper) (Australia), Thisara Perera (Sri Lanka), Imran Tahir (South Africa).

Published in Daily Times, August 26^th 2017.