Uncapped players Mohammad Haris and Asif Afridi earned a call-up for Pakistan’s white-ball series on Thursday, which includes three ODIs and one-off T20Is against Australia.
Left-arm spinner Asif and wicketkeeper-batsman Haris have won the selectors’ approval in the Babar Azam-led side as a result of their impressive performances in the domestic circuit.
“I would like to congratulate Asif and Haris on their inclusion in the squad for the Australia series. This is a reward for his hard work and consistent performance in the domestic circuit. His selection is also a message to all the domestic players that their performances are being followed and they will be rewarded with a call-up to the national team whenever the opportunity arises,” said selection committee chairman Muhammad Wasim.
In the recently concluded seventh edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL), Asif took eight wickets in five matches for Multan Sultans, while 20-year-old Haris scored 166 runs in five matches for Peshawar Zalmi at an impressive strike-rate of 186.5. Make it
In the ongoing Pakistan Cup, Harris has already scored 219 runs in seven matches for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa at an average of 44, while Asif has taken eight wickets in seven matches for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with an economy-rate of 4.39. Haris was named in the Pakistan squad for the home series against New Zealand, but the series could not be played at that time as the Kiwis returned home on the first day of the series.
“Australia are an equally excellent team in the shorter formats of the game and as such, we have decided to go with the best available and most experienced players. The four white-ball matches have significant context as 50-over games count for 2023 World Cup qualification and the 20-over ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 semi-final will be a repeat. So, it is a lot to see when both the sides will compete in the colored kits,” Wasim said.
Left-arm spinner Mohammad Nawaz, who was not included in the ongoing Benad-Qadir Trophy due to a leg injury, has been included in the squad for both the ODI and T20I formats. However, their selection in the playing line-up will be subject to a fitness test.
While a 20-man squad has been selected for the upcoming three-match ODI series under the ODI Super League, the selectors have dropped Abdullah Shafiq, Imam-ul-Haq and Saud Shakeel from the group for the only T20I squad.
The white-ball players will gather in Lahore on March 22 and undergo three days of room isolation, after which they will join the national team. Apart from being the men’s T20 World Cup champions, Australia are third in ODIs.
Pakistan, on the other hand, are at the sixth and third positions in the 50- and 20-over formats respectively. In the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Super League, Australia are seventh and Pakistan ninth to determine the top seven teams that will directly qualify for the 2023 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup to be hosted by India in October–November next year.
ODI Team: Babar Azam (capt), Shadab Khan (vice-captain), Abdullah Shafiq, Asif Afridi, Asif Ali, Fakhar Zaman, Haider Ali, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imam-ul-Haq, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Haris ( Wicketkeeper), Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan (WK), Mohammad Wasim Jr., Saud Shakeel, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shahnawaz Dahani and Usman Qadir
T20 Team: Babar Azam (capt), Shadab Khan (vice-captain), Asif Afridi, Asif Ali, Fakhar Zaman, Haider Ali, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Iftikhar Ahmed, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Haris (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan (wk) , Mohammad Wasim Jr., Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shahnawaz Dahani and Usman Qadir
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