Pakistan Cricket Board's National Selection Committee, led by Chief Selector Inzamamul Haq, has announced the names of the 15 players to be included in Pakistan's one-day international (ODI) squad for the upcoming series against Australia.

Pakistan will play five ODI matches in the series from January 13, 2017 to January 26, 2017.

The selection has been made after consultation with the team's head coach and the ODI captain.

"The ODI team has been selected keeping the conditions in Australia in mind and the performances of players in the recent ODI series against West Indies and in domestic cricket," explained Inzamamul Haq.

"The team is a fine blend of experience and youth and the selectors have stuck to the same combination of players that played against West Indies earlier. We believe that team will do well in the tour,” he added.

The names on the squad are:

• Azhar Ali (Captain)
• Sharjeel Khan
• Babar Azam
• Asad Shafiq
• Shoaib Malik
• Sarfraz Ahmed (Vice captain and wicket-keeper)
• Umar Akmal
• Mohammad Rizwan
• Mohammad Nawaz
• Imad Wasim
• Rahat Ali
• Mohammad Amir
• Wahab Riaz
• Hasan Ali
• Mohammed Irfan

Yasir Shah and Sohail Khan have been dropped from the line-up.

While talking to DawnNews fast-pacer Mohammad Irfan said, “I am really thankful to the selectors and the management who have shown their trust by including me in the team,”

Talking about his fitness Irfan said that he has been playing domestic first-class cricket in long-form and ODI format, so he is in full form and will use his fitness to benefit the Pakistani side.

The seven-feet-tall bowler says that he has an advantage of his height which gives him extra bounce and he will use that to take wickets. “I am the only bowler with this height and I have an advantage of this which I will use on the bouncy pitches of Australia and take wickets,” he said.

“My main target is Smith who is in form right now, as my bounce is unusual I will try to use it to bowl him out,” he said.

“I had difficulty in the first two matches in the World Cup but now I am familiar of those pitches and will bowl the right delivery needed to take wickets,” the bowler added.