Selectors announce 15-member ODI squad

One spot left vacant in Pakistan team for series against SL.

KARACHI: The national selection committee has announced a 15-man squad for the five-match One-Day International (ODI) series against Sri Lanka, leaving the 16th spot vacant which can be filled by a fast-bowler later if requested by the team management.

The fast-bowlers who are in reckoning for the additional spot in the squad include Mohammad Talha, Umar Gul, Ehsan Adil and Mohammad Irfan while Usman Khan Shinwari still has an outside chance of being retained.



Selection committee member Azhar Khan will closely monitor the aforementioned bowlers. He travelled to Sialkot from Lahore to see the President Trophy’s first-class match between Port Qasim Authority (PQA) – for whom Talha will be playing – and HBL, fielding Gul and Adil.

“We’ve kept the option of including a fast-bowler later by announcing a 15-man squad,” one of the selectors told The Express Tribune.

“In case the team management requests for an addition, one of these bowlers can shore up the squad.”

Meanwhile, the selectors finally lost patience with misfiring middle-order batsman Umar Amin as the left-hander was axed from the squad.

Opener Sharjeel Khan was rewarded with a maiden berth in the 50-over squad after decent performances in his first two Twenty 20s against Afghanistan and Sri Lanka respectively.

Talented middle-order player Haris Sohail has been recalled while selectors have kept faith in Asad Shafiq.

The squad includes Misbahul Haq (c), Muhammad Hafeez , Sharjeel, Ahmed Shahzad, Sohaib Maqsood, Sohail, Asad Shafiq, Umar Akmal (wk), Shahid Afridi, Saeed Ajmal, Abdur Rehman, Junaid Khan, Anwar Ali, Sohail Tanvir and Bilawal Bhatti.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 13^th, 2013.

Like Sports on Facebook, follow @ETribuneSports on Twitter to stay informed and join in the conversation.