ISLAMABAD: Pakistan selectors were unable to find a replacement for suspended offspinner Saeed Ajmal and has instead recalled left-arm spinner Raza Hasan for the limited-overs series against Australia in the United Arab Emirates next month.
Ajmal, the world's top-ranked one-day international bowler, was suspended by the ICC on Sept. 9 for an illegal bowling action.
Pakistan chief selector Moin Khan said that most of the potential offspin replacements also have suspect bowling actions, and "could earn a bad name for the country if included in the national team."
"It's tough to find a replacement for Ajmal, but we have included Raza Hasan, who has showed remarkable improvement in his fitness and performance in the ongoing domestic Twenty20 tournament," Khan said.
The 22-year-old Hasan represented Pakistan in T20s two years ago, and took six wickets in seven matches before he was sidelined by a back injury.
Adnan Rasool was tipped to replace Ajmal, but the offspinner was reported by match officials while representing Lahore Lions in the ongoing Champions League Twenty20 in India.
"There are several other offspinners who were reported in the domestic Twenty20 tournament, and we thought it's better to include a young left-arm spinner," Khan said.
Younis Khan's plans of playing in the World Cup next year were dented when selectors once again dropped him after he played just one ODI against Sri Lanka last month in his comeback match after more than a year out. Umar Amin, who played his last ODI in November, replaced Younis Khan.
Younis Khan was supposed to play all three one-dayers against Sri Lanka, but after scoring 3 in the first game, he returned home because his nephew died.
"There's not much time left to the World Cup, but that doesn't mean the doors are shut on Younis Khan," Moin Khan said.
"We want to give Umar Amin a chance because he's one of the fittest players during the recent fitness tests, and has been scoring consistently in domestic cricket."
The selectors also recalled wicketkeeper Sarfraz Ahmed, which meant Umar Akmal will likely play as a specialist batsman. Ahmed forced his way back into the squad after scoring three half centuries and a century against Sri Lanka in the two tests.
Uncapped Lahore Lions middle-order batsman Saad Nasim was included in the Twenty20 squad, while fast bowler Junaid Khan was named in only the ODI squad.
The series begins in Dubai with a one-off T20 on Oct. 5, followed by three ODIs at Sharjah (Oct. 7), Dubai (Oct. 10) and Abu Dhabi (Oct. 12).
Pakistan:
ODI squad: Misbah-ul-Haq (captain), Ahmed Shehzad, Mohammad Hafeez, Umar Akmal, Fawad Alam, Umar Amin, Asad Shafiq, Sohaib Maqsood, Sarfraz Ahmed, Shahid Afridi, Raza Hasan, Mohammad Irfan, Anwar Ali, Wahab Riaz, Junaid Khan.
Twenty20 squad: Shahid Afridi (captain), Ahmed Shehzad, Mohammad Hafeez, Umar Akmal, Umar Amin, Sohaib Maqsood, Awais Zia, Saad Naseem, Raza Hasan, Mohammad Irfan, Wahab Riaz, Bilawal Bhatti, Anwar Ali, Sohail Tanvir.
