Fast bowler Mohammad Amir earned a recall to Pakistan‘s 15-man squad for next month’s three-match T20 series against South Africa.
Amir – who had earlier been dropped following a disastrous Asia Cup in the UAE last year – has found his way back in the set-up in quick time.
The left-arm quick was not part of the Pakistan side that beat Australia and New Zealand 3-0 in T20s in the United Arab Emirates last year.
After the ongoing five-match ODI series in South Africa, Pakistan will play T20 matches in Cape Town (February 1), Johannesburg (February 3) and Centurion (February 6).
However, there was no place for domestic T20 performers like Khurram Manzoor, Rizwan Hussain and Salman Butt, who were the top-run scorers in Pakistan’s National Twenty20 Cup last month.
Also, there was no place in the team for the top T20 wicket-takers -Amad Butt, Umaid Asif and Mohammad Irfan.
Pakistan are ranked No1 in T20s having won nine consecutive games.
Chief selector Inzamam-ul-Haq said squad was picked keeping in mind this year’s World Cup and the Twenty20 World Cup next year.
“We need to give as much exposure and experience to our up and coming players as possible, but without compromising on the assignments in hand,” he said.
Squad: Sarfraz Ahmed (captain), Asif Ali, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Hasan Ali, Hussain Talat, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Hafeez, Sahibzada Farhan, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Afridi, Shoaib Malik, Usman Shinwari
