Pakistan squad named for World Cup, England series

LAHORE: Pakistan squad has been announced for the tour of England to play the series against the hosts and later the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2019.

Chairman selection committee of the Pakistan Cricket Board Inzamam-ul-Haq announced the squad at a press conference here on Thursday.

Fast bowler Mohammad Amir has been dropped from the preliminary 15-man squad for next month´s World Cup.

The 27-year-old has been in wretched form with just four wickets in 14 matches.

But the left-arm fast bowler, who missed the 2011 and 2015 World Cup due to a five-year ban on match fixing imposed in 2010, has a lifeline as teams can be changed until May 23 -- seven days before the ten-team event starts.

Allrounder Mohammad Hafeez was included in the World Cup squad subject to fully recovering from a fractured thumb he sustained during the Pakistan Super League (PSL) in February this year.

Amir is included in the 17-man squad -- as one of two additions to the 15-man Cup squad -- for the five-match one-day series against England from May 5-19 and can regain a place for the World Cup if he performs well.

There was a surprise World Cup call-up for 19-year-old rookie fast bowler Mohammad Hasnain who bowled at 150kph in the PSL earlier this year.

Sarfraz Ahmed will lead both the squads.

Squad: Sarfraz Ahmed (captain), Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Abid Ali, Babar Azam, Haris Sohail, Shoaib Malik, Mohammad Hafeez(subject to fitness), Imad Wasim, Shadab Khan, Hasan Ali, Faheem Ashraf, Junaid Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Mohammad Hasnain

Two for England ODIs: Mohammad Amir and Asif Ali.