Sharjeel, Shadab, Hafeez return as Shan left out

KARACHI: Hard-hitting opener Sharjeel Khan finally made a comeback as the squad for Pakistan’s tour of South Africa and Zimbabwe was announced here on Friday.

Sharjeel last played for Pakistan in 2017 after which he was banned for three years for spot fixing.

In the 2020-21 season, Sharjeel scored 233 runs in the National T20 Cup. He was third behind Mohammad Rizwan (297 runs) and Babar Azam (258 runs) with 200 runs in five HBL Pakistan Super League 6 matches before the event was postponed.

Interestingly, left-handed opener Shan Masood has been left out although he has been the second highest run scorer for Pakistan in the last three years, behind only Babar Azam.

Chief Selector Mohammad Wasim named 18-player T20I and ODI squads and 20-player Test side. Fourteen players feature in both T20I and ODI sides while eight players have earned selectors’ nod across all formats.

Fast bowler Arshad Iqbal has been named in T20I side, Mohammad Wasim Junior in both T20I and ODI teams and Larkana’s Shahnawaz Dahani has been included in Test squad.

Wasim said that they have rewarded domestic performers and showed faith in emerging cricketers. “Formidable sides have been formed for the upcoming challenges in South Africa and Zimbabwe where the national men’s side will play seven T20Is, three ODIs and two Tests,” he said.

The seven T20Is and two Tests will count towards the ICC T20I and Test Team Rankings, while the three ODIs against South Africa will be part of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Super League.

The 35-member Pakistan squad will depart for Johannesburg on March 26 for the three ODIs and four T20Is against South Africa. They will then fly to Bulawayo on April 17 for three T20Is and two Tests against Zimbabwe. The side is scheduled to return on May 12.

Prior to their departure for Johannesburg, a training camp for the white-ball players will be held at the Gaddafi Stadium from March 19. The players will arrive in Lahore on March 18 following March 16 PCR tests in their respective cities and will undergo further PCR tests on March 18, 21 and 24. During the Lahore camp, the players will remain in a bio-secure environment.

Pakistan white-ball vice-captain Shadab Khan and T20I specialist Mohammad Hafeez have returned to the side after missing the South Africa series.

The newcomers in the white-ball squads are 20-year-old Swabi-born fast bowler Arshad Iqbal (T20I squad) and 19-year-old fast bowler Mohammad Wasim Jnr from North Waziristan (both T20I and ODI squads).

Arshad has earned selection after claiming 10 T20 wickets and seven 50-over wickets in the 2020-21 season, while his Khyber Pakhtunkhwa team-mate Wasim took seven 50-over wickets and four T20 wickets in the HBL PSL 6. Wasim also played in the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup 2020.

Fast bowler Shahnawaz Dahani is the only new face in the 20-player Test squad. The 22-year-old from Larkana took 26 wickets in his debut first-class season for Sindh. He then followed up with five wickets in the Pakistan Cup One-Day Tournament and nine wickets for Multan Sultans in the HBL PSL 6.

Two changes have been made in the 20-player Test side that defeated South Africa in the two home Tests. Kamran Ghulam and Yasir Shah have been replaced by Shahnawaz Dahani and Zahid Mahmood.

Zahid has been promoted to the Test squad because of the non-availability of Yasir Shah, who is recovering from a left knee injury.

Chief selector Muhammad Wasim said: “Sharjeel Khan . . . is exactly not where we want him to be, he is not too far away. With the form he has recently shown in the domestic T20 events, he deserves an opportunity.

“Yasir Shah is suffering from left knee injury and requires another six weeks to fully recover. His absence has opened a door for Zahid Mahmood.

“For a place in the Test side, Zahid will compete with Nauman Ali and Sajid Khan, who, like Zahid, were the two outstanding bowlers in the first-class Quaid-e-Azam Trophy.

“Imad Wasim has missed out on selection as we have opted to continue with Mohammad Nawaz. The all-rounder had a decent series against South Africa.

“Aamer Yamin, Amad Butt and Kamran Ghulam are unlucky to miss out on selections. Aamer and Amad have paved the way for Mohammad Hafeez and Shadab Khan in the T20I squad, while Kamran has narrowly missed out to Salman Ali Agha and Saud Shakeel in the Test side.”

T20I squad: Babar Azam, Shadab Khan, Sharjeel Khan, Mohammad Hafeez, Haider Ali, Danish Aziz, Asif Ali, Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Mohamamad Wasim Jr, Mohammad Rizwan, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Hasnain, Hasan Ali, Arshad Iqbal, Usman Qadir

ODI squad: Babar Azam, Imam-ul-Haq, Fakhar Zaman, Abdullah Shafique, Haider Ali, Danish Aziz, Saud Shakil, Faheem Ashraf, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Rizwan, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Hasnain, Hasan Ali, Usman Qadir

Test squad: Babar Azam, Imran Butt, Abid Ali, Abdullah Shafique, Azhar Ali, Fawad Alam, Saud Shakeel, Agha Salman, Faheem Ashraf, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, Tabish Khan, Hasan Ali, Shahnawaz Dahani, Nauman Ali, Zahid Mehmood, Sajid Khan

Tour itinerary (Zimbabwe schedule to be announced in due course)

Players Support Personnel - Mansoor Rana (Manager), Misbah-ul-Haq (head coach), Abdul Majeed (fielding coach), Cliffe Deacon (physiotherapist), Col (retd) Khalid Mahmood (security manager), Malang Ali (masseur), Raza Kitchlew (Digital and media manager), Dr Riaz Ahmed (team doctor), Shahid Aslam (assistant coach), Talha Butt (analyst), Waqar Younis (bowling coach), Yasir Malik (strength & conditioning coach) and Younis Khan (batting coach).