Pakistan names squads for New Zealand ODI, Twenty20 and Test series

Selectors recall Salman, Imran and Razzaq
Veteran batsman Misbah given ‘rest’ 

Pakistan cricket selectors, headed by former Test leg spinner Iqbal Qasim, Thursday axed senior batsman Misbahul Haq and included regular openers Salman Butt and Imran Farhat in Pakistan squads named for the forthcoming one-day international, Twenty20 international and Test series against New Zealand. Misbah does not feature in any of the three outfits for four ODIs and two Twenty20s in Abu Dhabi and Dubai from November 3 and for the Test tour of New Zealand immediately after the United Arab Emirates (UAE) rubber.

Chief selector Qasim justified Misbah’s axing, saying the player needed rest to refresh himself and comeback stronger in the national squad. Misbah, 35, got the axe for the first time since his 2001 comeback to the national team. 

Misbah’s form has been poor in all three formats over the last year, in contrast to 2007, when he re-ignited his dormant international career in sensational fashion at the World Twenty20 in South Africa and then on a tour to India. The emergence of Umar Akmal as a middle order prospect has, for now at least, brought Misbah’s second innings to a close. “We have decided to give Misbah a rest and he will be considered for the tour of Australia and can concentrate on playing domestic cricket,” Qasim told reporters. 

Pakistan have failed to find a regular set of openers as no pair has settled at international level. 27-yer-old Imran last played for Pakistan in 2007. “We have problems with finding a reliable opening pair and we have decided to give Imran another chance,” Qasim added. Imran, who snapped his ties with the rebel Indian Cricket League (ICL), has staged a comeback after two years. The left-hander is in all three squads. Salman, dropped for the Champions Trophy, is recalled for one-dayers and Tests after scoring a century in the ongoing Quaid-e-Azam Trophy First Class Tournament. Qasim said opening was a specialised field and he wanted to hand over this job to regular openers. 

They are also recalls for pace bowler Mohammad Asif, all-rounder Abdul Razzaq, and opening batsman Khalid Latif. Both Razzaq, who was left out of the Champions Trophy squad, and Khalid, in imperious domestic form, are in the squads for ODIs and Twenty20s while Imran Nazir has found a place in the Twenty20 squad only. There will be disappointment at the non-selection of fresh faces performing well in domestic cricket, particularly batsmen, but the selectors have recalled left-arm pacemen Sohail Tanvir and Wahab Riaz. The pair makes up for the absence of pacer Asif from the first limited-overs leg of the tour, because of his deportation last year from Dubai. Asif is unable to travel back and so has been picked only for the Test squad. “We were forced to leave out Asif because of some official problems, but hope that he keeps fitness and performs well in the Tests,” said Qasim.

Seven players – Umar Akmal, Kamran Akmal, Saeed Ajmal, Imran, Shoaib Malik, Umar Gul and Mohammad Aamer – find a place in all three squads. Younis Khan, after resigning and coming back in the last week as captain, will lead the Test and ODI side, and Shahid Afridi will captain the Twenty20 squad. 

Squads:

1: One-day squad: 

Younis Khan (captain), Shahid Afridi, Salman Butt Imran Farhat, Khalid Latif, Mohammad Yousuf, Shoaib Malik, Umar Akmal, Kamran Akmal, Abdul Razzaq, Rana Naved, Saeed Ajmal, Umar Gul, Muhammad Aamer, Rao Iftikhar Anjum and Wahab Riaz. 

2: Twenty20 squad: 

Shahid Afridi (captain), Khalid Latif, Imran Nazir, Umar Akmal, Shoaib Malik, Kamran Akmal, Abdul Razzaq, Rana Naved, Umar Gul, Muhammad Aamer, Rao Iftikhar, Saeed Ajmal, Imran Farhat, Fawad Alam and Sohail Tanvir 

3: Test squad: 

Younis Khan (captain), Salman Butt, Khurrum Manzoor, Imran Farhat, Mohammad Yousuf, Shoaib Malik, Fawad Alam, Faisal Iqbal, Kamran Akmal, Danish Kaneria, Saeed Ajmal, Yasir Arafat, Umar Gul, Muhammad Asif, Muhammad Aamer, Abdul Rauf, Umar Akmal and Sarfraz Ahmed.

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