Younus called back to one-day team

Former skipper included in Pakistan’s squad for Sri Lanka tour.

KARACHI: Acting upon Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Najam Sethi’s suggestion to review Pakistan’s squad for the Sri Lanka tour, the team management and selectors have included veteran batsman Younus Khan in the national side that will play two Tests and three ODIs in August.

The Express Tribune has learnt that there was a serious difference of opinion between the selectors on Younus, as some preferred to utilise his experience in the 50-over format, whereas chief selector Moin Khan and Mohammad Akram wanted to try out youngsters.

“Younus was initially overlooked for the one-day team despite strong suggestions,” revealed a PCB official. “But when the team went for approval, Sethi asked Moin and Waqar for reconsideration and then they decided to name Younus as well.”



As reported earlier, former T20 captain Mohammad Hafeez has been dropped from the Test squad due to his below par performances in the longest form of the game in recent times.

Umar Akmal has been given additional duty to perform in the Test alongside ODIs, while Wahab Riaz has been selected to replace Bilawal Bhatti in both formats.

The 29-year-old fast-bowler last played the Tests back in May 2011 against the West Indies has come as a surprise inclusion, as his domestic performances are far from satisfactory.

Meanwhile, it has been learned that Umar has been brought in on the suggestion of head coach Waqar Younis, who recommended the middle-order batsman due to his attacking approach.

“We’ve added Wahab because along with Mohammad Talha and Junaid Khan, he will improve our pace attack,” one of the selectors told The Express Tribune.

“He is quick and tries hard to dismiss batsmen the first chance he gets. Similarly, Umar has been brought in because of his positive approach and Waqar was in his favour as well, but he will need to prove that he is good enough for five-day cricket.”

List of squads for Tests and ODIs

Test squad: Ahmed Shehzad, Khurram Manzoor, Shan Masood, Azhar Ali, Younus Khan, Misbah ul Haq (captain), Asad Shafiq, Umar Akmal, Sarfraz Ahmed, Saeed Ajmal, Abdur Rehman, Mohammad Talha, Junaid Khan, Rahat Ali, Wahab Riaz

ODI squad: Ahmed Shehzad, Sharjeel Khan, Mohammad Hafeez, Misbah ul Haq (captain), Younus Khan, Umar Akmal, Fawad Alam, Sohaib Maqsood, Shahid Afridi, Anwar Ali, Saeed Ajmal, Junaid Khan, Mohammad Talha, Wahab Riaz, Zulfiqar Babar

Published in The Express Tribune, July 10^th, 2014.

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