KARACHI: Opener Imran Farhat has pulled out of Pakistan's tour to Zimbabwe, citing personal reasons, and has been replaced by the uncapped Shan Masood, Pakistani cricket chiefs announced Tuesday.
The 31-year-old Farhat has failed to cement his place in the Pakistan team in a turbulent 13-year career and has often been criticised for lack of consistency.
“Farhat has informed the Board and the national selection committee that due to domestic matters which require his immediate attention he will be unable to proceed to Zimbabwe with the team,” said a Pakistan Cricket Board release.
Farhat had been named in the Test squad for the tour starting on August 23, in which Pakistan will play two Twenty20s, three one-day internationals and two Tests.
“The selection committee has consulted and Masood has been selected to replace Farhat in the Test Squad,” the PCB said.
Farhat has so far played 40 Tests for Pakistan, the last of which was in South Africa in February this year.
Masood, 23, is a promising left-handed opener who has been scoring heavily in domestic cricket and has several tours under his belt with Pakistan's second string “A” team.
Pakistan Test squad: Misbah-ul Haq (captain), Mohammad Hafeez, Khurram Manzoor, Shan Masood, Asad Shafiq, Younis Khan, Azhar Ali, Faisal Iqbal, Adnan Akmal, Junaid Khan, Wahab Riaz1, Ehsan Adil, Rahat Ali, Saeed Ajmal, Abdul Rehman.
