Pakistan have named their T20I squad to face South Africa in the three-match T20I series that is to be played in the Gaddafi stadium in Lahore from February 11.
Zafar Gohar, Danish Aziz, Zahid Mehmood and Amad Butt are the four uncapped players named in Pakistan’s 20-man squad for the three T20Is against South Africa. Hasan Ali, Asif Ali and Aamer Yamin have been recalled to the side, while Wahab Riaz, Fakhar Zaman and Abdullah Shafique have been dropped.
Shadab Khan is still nursing an injury while Imad Wasim is unavailable for personal reasons in the squad. Mohammad Hafeez was excluded from the squad as he would be unable to join the bio-bubble by February 3. Sarfaraz Ahmed continues to remain in the Pakistan T20I squad despite Mohammad Rizwan’s promising form in New Zealand. There was no room for Moin Khan’s son, Azam Khan, who has been making noise in the T20 circuit.
Haris Rauf, Mohammad Hasnain, Shaheen Afridi and Faheem Ashraf make for a quality pace attack that could play in the playing XI. Hasan Ali, Aamer Yamin, Amad Butt are other pace bowling options.
Chief selector Muhammad Wasim explains key omissions! #HarHaalMainCricket | #PAKvSA pic.twitter.com/7iJePOW023
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In the spin department, Usman Qadir is joined by some newbies with Imad and Shadab unavailable. Zafar Gohar and Danish Aziz are left-arm spinners while Zahid Mehmood is a leg-break bowler.
The squad, sans the Test players due to play the second Test against South Africa, enter the bio-secure bubble from February 3. The ones from Test squad will join the bio-bubble for the Pakistan T20I squad after the Rawalpindi Test ends.
Pakistan T20I squad
Babar Azam, Haider Ali, Khushdil Shah, Hussain Talat, Danish Aziz, Asif Ali, Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Nawaz, Zafar Gohar, Faheem Ashraf, Aamer Yamin, Amad Butt, Mohammad Rizwan, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Hasnain, Hasan Ali, Usman Qadir, Zahid Mehmood