Pakistan announce 16-man squad for Sri Lanka ODIs

Pakistan have named a 16-man squad for the upcoming three-match ODI series against Sri Lanka. The ODI series will be new head coach and chief selector Misbah-ul-Haq’s first in charge of the Pakistan national team. Misbah has already made some big calls, omitting the likes of Shoaib Malik and Mohammad Hafeez. In the final squad declared, pacers Hasan Ali and Shaheen Afridi have not been included.

While Hasan Ali has been struggling with a back injury, Afridi has been plagued by a severe bout of dengue. New faces in the squad include all-rounder Mohammad Nawaz and batsman Iftikhar Ahmed. Nawaz will lend much-needed balance to the side, being a handy operator both with the bat and the ball. He has already played 16 ODIs for Pakistan and the series will be a big opportunity for him to cement his place in the side. 29-year old batter Ahmed also finds a place in the side after a string of strong performances in List A cricket.

Onus on experienced names

The onus in the batting department will again be on the experienced campaigners. The top-three of Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq and Babar Azam will have to shoulder maximum responsibility. Haris Sohail who made some vital contributions during the World Cup will also be expected to become an important member of the set-up. The pace department will be led by the experienced duo of Mohammad Amir and Wahab Riaz. Shadab Khan will be the designated all-rounder in the squad led by wicketkeeper-batsman Sarfaraz Ahmed.

All the three-matches will be held in Karachi beginning from 27th September. It will be followed by a three-match T20I series with the games being held in Lahore.

Pakistan squad: Sarfaraz Ahmed (c), Babar Azam, Abid Ali, Asif Ali, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Sohail, Mohammad Hasnain, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Imam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan, Shadab Khan, Usman Khan Shinwari, Wahab Riaz