Nasir Jamshed had to pay the price for his barren run with the bat, as the opener failed to score a single half century in the Twenty20 Internationals this year. PHOTO: AFP
The Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) selection committee has included prolific opener Sharjeel Khan and left-handed middle order batsman Haris Sohail in the squad for the Twenty20 matches against Afghanistan and Sri Lanka in the UAE next week.
As the players start returning home after a busy schedule – home series in the UAE against the Proteas followed by a return tour to South Africa, the selection committee announced a 14-player squad making five changes in the team that featured in the two T20s in Dubai in November.
Mohammad Hafeez’s team will play a one-off T20 against Afghanistan on December 8 before playing two games against Sri Lanka on December 11 and 13.
Five changes for the tour
Opening batsman Nasir Jamshed finally paid for his consistent failures this year and has been dropped for the upcoming matches to pave way for another promising left-handed opener – Sharjeel Khan.
Sharjeel is enjoying a good domestic season, with his recent 194-run knock in the President’s Cup One-Day Tournament hailed as the best individual innings this season.
Meanwhile, bad luck continues to haunt Mohammad Irfan who failed to recover from a hip strain that kept the fast bowler out of the recently-concluded tour of South Africa.
“Irfan is also unlikely for the ODI series against Sri Lanka,” said an official close to the selection committee.
Besides Irfan, seasoned all-rounders Shoaib Malik and Abdul Razzaq have been excluded along with left-arm spinner Abdul Rehman.
Anwar Ali and Bilawal Bhatti have been rewarded for their impressive ODI debuts with inclusion in the T20 team while Zulfiqar Babar returned after recovering from a hand injury.
Young batsman Haris Sohail, who played his maiden T20 against the West Indies in July, has also been recalled.
Meanwhile, Saeed Ajmal will miss the one-off match against Afghanistan due to domestic reasons and will join the squad ahead of the series against Sri Lanka.
Swashbuckling Sharjeel eyes impressive debut
Born on the Independence Day in 1989, Sharjeel is targeting an impressive entry to international cricket.
“I am very excited,” the Hyderabad-born batsman told The Express Tribune.
“Like every domestic cricketer, it was my dream to make the cut for the national team and I am delighted that it has been fulfilled. Now my target is to make records for Pakistan.”
Sri Lanka series:
Twenty20 Squad
Mohammad Hafeez (captain), Ahmad Shahzad, Sharjeel Khan, Sohaib Maqsood, Umar Amin, Umar Akmal, Shahid Afridi , Zulfiqar Babar, Bilawal Bhatti, Junaid Khan, Sohail Tanvir, Anwar Ali Saeed Ajmal, Haris Sohail
Published in The Express Tribune, December 2nd, 2013.
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COMMENTS (17)
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I think they must include usman shinwari in the squad, look what he did in final t20.he out class misba as well.
I think that usman sanwari also included in the squad
plz read my criticism again for the sake of future of Pakistan cricket & not for ur personal liking r disliking. see his last 15 innings and then decide if u r a true critic & make ur vision broader. no doubt he did exlnt bowling in many matches for Pakistan. but every 1 witnessed his reflexes gone while playing short pitch deliveries & decaying foot work in last few matches in S. africa. Also i m not talking abt Afridi alone, hafeez , sohail, nasir, all need to be redented @antanu:
Good Selection but want to include raza hasan in place of zulfiqar babar. Also missing umar gul in the line up.
Wonder why Raza Hassan and Hamad Azam not even considered for the team?
Umer akmal played a key role in the defeat in 3rd OD vs SA by dropping catch hence he is aptly rewarded with a place in the team
Who says afridi is a player of good caliber? Dull minded people like him, if u like him watch him in advertisement of head & shoulders, BP jelly, kurkure, hajmola etc. Pakistan needs to replace sohail tanvir, Mohammad Hafeez, shahid afridi, and Ahmed shehzad whose strike rate is pathetic in one day, and he still qualifies for T20
@saeed minhas; PCB cannot replace Afridi because they do not have a player of his caliber, who can single handedly win matches...so stop criticizing Our star Performer..
@saeed minhas; PCB cannot replace Afridi, because they do not have a player of his caliber, who can single handedly win matches...so stop criticizing Our star Performer..
@saeed minhas: it is ridiculous that you are criticizing the PCB for including Shahid Afridi who is un excellent form with his spin bowling.Only in Pakistan such a unique player will ne hated by the people.It shows that Pakis prefer personal likes or dislikes over national image and well being.
unless PCB makes daring decisions there's gonna be no long lasting positive change in the team's performance . we'v been continuously watching dead woods , ailing lobbies & so called superstars as permanent part of the team. let somebody ask Afridi , do you still believe you can bat. Many more Qs like this . its time to make big decisions . best of luck cricket Pakistan
Where is UMER GUL?Is he still UNFIT?
Thank God Misbah is not included. Further Sohail tanveer should also have been dropped.
It is first every good decision made by PCB to include player from Hyderabad; Hyderabad has some talent since longtime which is ignored such has azeem ghuman and Lal kumar which did represent as captain pakistan in under -19 WC and regulary player in south asian game.