Shehzad, Umar Akmal in; Hafeez, Malik out: Probables named for SL series

LAHORE: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Monday announced a list of 20 probables resting out veterans Shoaib Malik and Mohammad Hafeez and bringing in the fold controversy-prone Ahmed Shehzad and Umer Akmal.

The probables have been named to prepare to host Sri Lanka for three ODIs and T20Is at Karachi and Lahore later this month. Pakistan cricket team’s head coach and chief selector Misbah-ul-Haq named the players for the training camp, which will start from September 18 here at the National Cricket Academy.

Hafeez is currently representing St Kitts and Nevis Patriots while Shoaib Malik is playing for Guyana Amazon Warriors in the Caribbean League.Misbah-ul-Haq will announce the squads at the Gaddafi Stadium on September 23. The ODI side will travel to Karachi on September 24 for the three-match series which kicks off on September 27. Fast bowler Mohammad Hasnain has already been asked by the board to return home from the CPL to compete in the country’s premier first-class tournament, the Quaid-i-Azam Trophy. The 19-year-old Hasnain, who has played five ODIs, also was called up for the training camp that starts Wednesday.

Opening batsman Ahmed Shehzad and middle-order batsman Umar Akmal might get a chance to make it to the final squads for the three-match ODI series and the three Twenty20s against Sri Lanka.

Shehzad, who has played 81 ODIs, had been sidelined since October 2017, when he played an ODI against Sri Lanka in the United Arab Emirates. Akmal played his last ODI against Australia - also in the UAE in March - but was not selected for the World Cup.

The ODI series against Sri Lanka begins at Karachi on September 27, while the three-match Twenty20 series will be played at Lahore from October 5-9.Meanwhile, the PCB has also appointed the team management for the Sri Lanka and Australia series.

Probables: Sarfraz Ahmed (captain), Babar Azam (vice-captain), Abid Ali, Ahmed Shehzad, Asif Ali, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Sohail, Hasan Ali, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Imam-ul-Haq, M Amir, M Hasnain, M Nawaz, M Rizwan, Shadab Khan, Umar Akmal, Usman Shinwari and Wahab Riaz.

Misbah-ul-Haq (Head Coach and Chief Selector); Mansoor Rana (Team Operations, Logistics & Administrative Manager), Waqar Younis (Bowling Coach), Grant Bradburn (Fielding Coach), Shahid Aslam (Assistant to Head coach on cricket), Cliffe Deacon (Physiotherapist), Yasir Malik (Trainer), Maj (retd) Azhar Arif (Security Manager - for Sri Lanka series), Col (retd) Usman Anwari (Security Manager - for Australia tour), Raza Kitchlew (Team Media Manager), Talha Butt (Team Analyst) and Malang Ali (Masseur).