Lahore, Aug. 24: Shoaib Malik was dropped but another former captain Mohammad Yousuf was on Wednesday retained by Pakistan’s national selectors in a 16-member squad for the one-day series against England.
Younis Khan was once again ignored for the series of two Twenty20 matches and five one-day internationals being held next month against England.
Chief selector Mohsin Khan claimed at a press conference that the board had not given clearance to select Younis.
“There are also fitness issues with him. Unless we don’t get clearance we can’t consider him,” he said.
But while the selectors ignored Younis once again, they have retained former captain Mohammad Yousuf for the one-day series and also included five new players in the ODI squad including fast bowler, Shoaib Akhtar, all-rounders Abdul Razzaq, Mohammad Hafeez and Fawad Alam and opener Shahzaib Hasan.
The selectors have released Malik, pacer Tanveer Ahmed, opener Imran Farhat and Umar Amin from the Test squad currently touring England. Pakistan’s one-day skipper Shahid Afridi also said he had spoken to the PCB chairman Ejaz Butt about Younis Khan but didn’t get a positive response.
The PCB banned or fined seven players in March for indiscipline on the tour to Australia early this year. Yousuf announced his retirement from international cricket but is now back in the squad after being called out of retirement in the middle of the Test series in England.
The Squad
Shahid Afridi (capt), Salman Butt, Shahzaib Hasan, Azhar Ali, M. Yousuf, M. Hafeez, Umar Akmal, Kamran Akmal, Abdul Razzaq, Fawad Alam, Muhammad Aamir, Muhammad Asif, Umar Gul, Wahab Riaz, Shoaib Akhtar and Saeed Ajmal.