Akmal, Asad return to ODI squad as PCB announces 16-man lineup for Windies series
LAHORE: Chief Selector Inzamam-ul-Haq on Sunday finalised the 16-member One Day International (ODI) team for three ODIs against the West Indies to be played in the United Arab Emirates starting Sept 30.
PCB Chairman Shaharyar Khan said Azhar Ali will remain skipper and Sarfraz Ahmad will be vice captain.
The new lineup sees batsmen Umar Akmal and Asad Shafiq making a comeback to the ODI squad.
Akmal, 26, was sidelined for 18 months over disciplinary problems and played the last of his 111 ODIs in March during the 2015 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
Negative comments about Akmal's behaviour by former head coach Waqar Younis and ex-manager Intikhab Alam almost derailed his career. He was recalled to the Twenty20 squad earlier this month after being passed over for five months.
The last ODI Asad played for Pakistan was against Zimbabwe in October 2015 in Harare. The middle-order batsman has scored 1,318 runs in ODIs at an average of 25.34 while batting in the middle-order, and has expressed his willingness to bat at any position for the team.
Pakistan will play three ODIs against the West Indies on Sept 30 and Oct 2 in Sharjah, and Oct 5 in Abu Dhabi.
"While picking the squad, the team management and skipper were consulted and all concerned gave their consent in this regard," said a Pakistan Cricket Board statement.
The squad includes: Azhar Ali (Captain), Sarfraz Ahmed (Vice Captain), Sharjeel Khan, Babar Azam, Asad Shafiq, Shoaib Malik, Umar Akmal, Mohammad Rizwan, Muhammad Nawaz, Imad Wasim, Yasir Shah, Rahat Ali, Muhammad Amir, Wahab Riaz, Hasan Ali and Sohail Khan.