next tour Zimbabwe, where they play three T20Is and as many ODIs in September and October.
Meanwhile, chief selector Haroon Rasheed said that a few more youngsters would be tested out in the coming months prior to the World T20 early next year.
The former Test batsman rejected suggestions that captain Shahid Afridi or head coach Waqar Younis had any personal issue with wicketkeeper Sarfaraz Ahmed who was rested for both T20 matches causing an uproar in the cricket circles.
“I think we shouldn’t jump to conclusions. Sarfaraz is our proven performer now and he had been playing non-stop cricket in Sri Lanka. Maybe the team management felt he needed rest so they could give others more chances,” Rasheed said in an interview.
“But anyway the selection committee will sit down with the team management and captains and have a discussion with them on the tour and find out why Sarfaraz was not played in the T20 matches,” he said.
The chief selector said that it was the job of selectors to ensure no injustice was done with any player. “But we shouldn’t be judgmental so soon. The team management wants to try out new combinations and give exposure to some of the younger players,” he said.
He pointed out that all-rounder Anwar Ali, batsman Muhammad Rizwan and left arm all-rounder Emmad Wasim were all given a proper run in the limited overs series in Sri Lanka which was a positive sign.
“We all felt that the new players needed a proper run so that we know where they stand,” he added.
Anwar and Wasim played lead roles in guiding Pakistan to a dramatic last-over win over Sri Lanka in the second T20 international on Saturday night.
Rasheed made it clear that a clear message had been given to the seniors. “The presence of such talent just shows that our domestic cricket is producing talent and we just have to give them opportunities to find out who can make a successful transition to international cricket,” the chief selector said.
Haroon also said Waqar Younis and his support staff would supervise a training camp for emerging players in Lahore in the time the national team has no international commitments. “The purpose is to work on the fitness of these players as nowadays only teams with high fitness levels and top fielding skills can be successful consistently,” he added.