Uncapped left-arm spinner Asif Afridi and wicket-keeper batter Mohammad Haris have earned the nod from Pakistan selectors for the white-ball series against Australia.
Follow Us
Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced its white-ball squad for series’ against Australia, starting with the first of three-match One-Day International (ODI), on Tuesday in Rawalpindi. Veteran wicket-keeper batter Sarfaraz Ahmed and all-rounder Imad Wasim were axed from the squads as uncapped left-arm spinner Asif Afridi and wicket-keeper batter Mohammad Haris earned a nod from the national selectors ahead of them.
The former Pakistan captain made his last white-ball appearance during their tour of Bangladesh in November 2021 while the all-rounder made his last white-ball cricket appearance at the T20 World Cup last year.
“Left-arm spinner Asif and wicketkeeper/batter Haris have earned the selectors’ nod as result of their impressive performances in the domestic circuit as the selectors have continued to provide opportunities to high-performing players as part of their strategy to increase the pool of top-class cricketers and developing a formidable bench-strength,” the PCB said in an official media statement.
“In the recently concluded seventh edition of the HBL Pakistan Super League, Asif took eight wickets in five matches for Multan Sultans, while 20-year-old Haris scored 166 runs in five matches at an impressive strike-rate of 186.5 for Peshawar Zalmi. In the ongoing Pakistan Cup, Haris has already scored 219 runs in seven matches at an average of just under 44 for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, while Asif has picked up eight wickets in seven matches for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with an economy-rate of 4.39.
“Haris was named in the Pakistan squad for the home series against New Zealand but the series couldn’t be played at the time as the Kiwis returned home on the day of the series opener,” the statement added.
READ MORE: Pakistan vs Australia, 2nd Test: Babar Azam shatters records with marathon knock
Mohammad Wasim has been drafted in the ODI and T20 squads after he had withdrawn from participation in the Test series for the Benaud-Qadir Trophy due to a foot injury. His selection, however, remains a subject to fitness test results.
Rawalpindi will play host to the ODI and one-off T20 series with the second and third encounter slated to take place on March 31 and April 2 respectively while the only game in the shortest format will be played on April 5.
ODI squad: Babar Azam (captain), Shadab Khan (VC), Abdullah Shafique, Asif Afridi, Fakhar. Zaman, Haider Ali, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imam-ul-Haq, Khushdil Shah, Muhammad Haris, Muhammad Nawaz, Muhammad Rizwan, Muhammad Wasim jr, Saud Shakeel, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shahnawaz Dahani. Usman Qadir.
T20 Squad: Babar Azam (Caps), Shadab Khan (VC), Asif Afridi, Asif Ali, Fakhar. Zaman, Haider Ali, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Iftikhar Ahmed, Khushdil Shah, Muhammad Haris, Muhammad Nawaz, Muhammad Rizwan, Muhammad Wasim jr, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shahnawaz Dahani. Usman Qadir.
Rishabh Pant's explosive last-over blitz ignites IPL 2024 amid T20 World Cup comeback talks
