Pakistan's national selection committee has made a last-minute inclusion of veteran all-rounder Mohammed Hafeez in the Test squad where the Green Gang will face Australia in a two-match series, commencing October 7.
Hafeez, who was not a part of the 17-member squad for the series, will now travel to UAE at the earliest.
Since the 37-year old's return to domestic cricket, the all-rounder has been in fantastic form and has been putting up some impressive performances. Recently, he scored a double-century and picked up four wickets in a match between Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited and Peshawar.
"The national selection committee and team management have decided to include Hafeez for two-match Test series against Australia," the PCB spokesperson said, according to Cricbuzz.
Hafeez last played for Pakistan in a Test series was back in 2016, when they toured England. He failed to make an impact as he scored 102 runs in six-innings, including bagging a pair.
Pakistan have made a few changes to their Test squad after their players were knocked out from the recently concluded 2018 Asia Cup. The Sarfraz Ahmed led side were hammered by India in both their encounters and were eliminated by Bangladesh in the Super Four clash.
Pakistan are slated to play their first Test against Australia at Dubai, starting from October 7, followed by the second and final Test at Abu Dhabi beginning October 16.
Pakistan Test Squad: Sarfraz Ahmed(c), Azhar Ali, Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Babar Azam, Asad Shafiq, Haris Sohail, Usman Salahuddin, Yasir Shah, Shadab Khan, Bilal Asif, Mohammad Abbas, Hasan Ali, Wahab Riaz, Faheem Ashraf, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Hafeez
Australia
Australia Test Squad: Tim Paine(c), Ashton Agar, Brendan Doggett, Aaron Finch, Travis Head, Jon Holland, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Shaun Marsh, Michael Neser, Matt Renshaw, Peter Siddle, Mitchell Starc