Former captain Azhar Ali and all-rounders Aamir Yamin and
Mohammad Nawaz have made Pakistan's squad for the upcoming five-match
ODI series against New Zealand, but middle-order batsman Sohaib Maqsood,
pacer Junaid Khan and all-rounder Imad Wasim will miss out after
failing fitness tests, Chief Selector Inzamam-ul-Haq announced on
Saturday.
"Azhar Ali makes a comeback to the ODI squad
after being rested against Sri Lanka and having regained full fitness,"
the chief selector said. "Junaid Khan has been ruled out due to a
fracture in his right foot. Doctors have advised him a six-week rest."
Regarding
Wasim's omission, he added: "Imad Wasim [is] again feeling discomfort
in his knee. He has been told to work on his fitness at the National
Cricket Academy."
The Sarfraz Ahmed-led side for the series down under also includes Muhammad Hafeez, who was recently barred from bowling by the International Cricket Council (ICC) due to an illegal bowling action but maintains batting prowess.
"Hafeez
is a good batsman; the board is making efforts to correct his bowling
action," Inzamam said about the inclusion of the all-rounder.
Inzamam
further said the current year has been a great one for Pakistan cricket
and also expressed hope that Pakistan's stadia would soon get more
international cricket.
Usman Shinwari, who had rattled the Sri Lankan batting in the aforementioned ODI series, was already out of contention due to a back injury, whereas Ahmad Shehzad was dropped after failing to impress in the same series against the islanders.
The ODI series against New Zealand will be played between January 6 and 19.
The squad for the T20I series will be announced later.
ODI Squad:
Sarfraz Ahmed (c)(wk), Azhar Ali, Fakhar Zaman, Imam-Ul-Haq, Babar
Azam, Shoaib Malik, Muhammad Hafeez, Haris Sohail, Faheem Ashraf, Shadab
Khan, Muhammad Nawaz, Muhammad Amir, Hasan Ali, Aamir Yamin and Rumman
Raees.
