LAHORE: Pakistan cricket selectors on Friday recalled Imad Wasim and Mohammad Hafeez in a 15-member squad named for a three-match New Zealand ODI series to be played in the United Arab Emirates this month. Imad and Hafeez find themselves back in the limited overs national squad after spells of varying lengths out of the side. Hafeez, 38, who is a veteran of 200 one-day internationals, sat out of Pakistan’s five ODIs against Zimbabwe in July and was dropped from the squad for the Asia Cup altogether. But he showed good form in the 3-0 Twenty20 series win against Australia and in the first Twenty20 match against New Zealand – both in the United Arab Emirates – to force his way back in the side. Wasim has not been part of the one-day squad since Pakistan’s series against Sri Lanka in October last year, and has been plagued by fitness problems. Notable absence from the squad is that of Mohammad Amir’s. His ouster from the one-day setup meaning he has now been dropped from all three formats this month.
The squad is otherwise largely unchanged from Pakistan’s Asia Cup side, with Shan Masood, included in that 16-man side (though he didn’t play any match) the only other played omitted. Asif Ali retains his place, while Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq and Hafeez are the three opening options named. Sahibzada Farhan, who averages over 53 in List A cricket in Pakistan and was included in Pakistan’s squad for the T20I series against Australia and New Zealand, has failed to earn a call-up to the 50-over side. Shaheen Afridi, Junaid Khan, Hasan Ali and Usman Shinwari are the four fast bowlers in the side, while Shadab Khan and Imad are the specialist spin options.
Despite their splendid T20I form over the past two years, Pakistan are coming off a disappointing Asia Cup tournament, where they failed to make the final after losing to Bangladesh in a must-win encounter. It was part of a trend of shaky performances throughout the competition in which they were soundly beaten by India twice, and only managed to squeak past Afghanistan in a final-over thriller. Despite a superb record in Test cricket in the UAE, Pakistan have struggled there in ODI cricket ever since they relocated. In 61 ODIs there over the past decade, they have won 28 and lost 33. Excluding Sri Lanka, against whom they have won 12 of 15 encounters in the UAE, Pakistan’s record is an even more unflattering 16 wins and 30 losses. They have lost both series they played against New Zealand over that period, most recently in 2014, when the visitors triumphed 3-2. The first two ODIs will be held in Abu Dhabi on 7 and 9 November, with the third to take place in Dubai on 13 November.
Pakistan’s ODI squad v New Zealand: Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Hafeez, Babar Azam, Shoaib Malik, Asif Ali, Sarfraz Ahmed (captain), Haris Sohail, Shadab Khan, Faheem Ashraf, Imad Wasim, Hasan Ali, Junaid Khan, Shaheen Afridi, Usman Shinwari.
Published in Daily Times, November 3rd 2018.