Islamabad
\nPakistan on Thursday recalled fast bowler Haris Rauf and medium-pacer Hasan Ali for T20 internationals in Ireland and England later this month, their final warm-ups for the World Cup.
\nThe development came as the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) named the 18-man squad that will take on Ireland from May 10-14 and England from May 22-30 during an upcoming tour of the UK.
\nIt follows the appointment of former South Africa top-order batter Gary Kirsten and ex-Australia fast bowler Jason Gillespie as the head coaches for the men\u2019s national team for white and red-ball, respectively. Azhar Mahmood had been made the assistant coach in all formats.
\nAccording to a PCB press release, wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan, Azam Khan and Muhammad Irfan Khan \u2014 who all suffered injuries last month against New Zealand \u2014 were also included in the squad.
\nTwo players who did not \u201cmake the cut\u201d were wrist spinner Usama Mir and fast bowler Zaman Khan \u2014 both of whom played against New Zealand in the recent T20I series.
\nThe squad will be reduced to 15 players for the forthcoming ICC Men\u2019s T20 World Cup in The West Indies and the US this summer, the PCB said, adding that it would be announced following the first T20I with England, before the ICC\u2019s May 24 deadline.
\n\u201cWe are having fitness issues with a few players but we hope that during the England tour, we will be able to finalise the World Cup squad,\u201d selector Wahab Riaz told a news conference in Lahore.
\nAll 20 World Cup teams had to submit preliminary 15-player squads to the International Cricket Council by May 1 deadline, but they can make changes until May 25.
\n\u201cCrafting this squad was a challenging task due to the outstanding talent available,\u201d the PCB statement quoted the selection committee as saying, which includes Wahab Riaz, Mohammad Yousuf, Asad Shafique and Abdul Razzaq.
\n\u201cAfter thorough deliberation and considering various cricketing aspects, we have finalised these 18 players.\u201d
\nAccording to the statement, the squad includes a \u201crobust top-order\u201d featuring Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman and Rizwan, as well as a pace-batting side led by Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Amir, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris, and Hasan.
\nThe cricket board highlighted that Salman Ali Agha \u201chas established himself as a versatile cricketer\u201d, adding that he will bolster Pakistan\u2019s spin bowling attack alongside Imad Wasim and Shadab Khan.
\nThe PCB attributed Hasan Ali\u2019s selection to his \u201cextensive experience\u201d, referring to his performance in this year\u2019s Pakistan Super League and his stint playing for Warwickshire in the English County Championship.
\nRegarding the recent T20I series against New Zealand, it said Haris and Azam had been sidelined due to injuries while Irfan and Rizwan had been rested from the two T20Is in Lahore due to \u201cniggles\u201d.
\n\u201cThe four cricketers underwent fitness assessments at the National Cricket Academy on Tuesday afternoon, showing significant improvement,\u201d the PCB said, adding that their progress had provided confidence to the board\u2019s medical panel.
\n\u201cWe understand Usama and Zaman will be disappointed\u2026 as they must be looking ahead to the tours of Ireland and England\u201d, the selection committee said.
\n\u201cThey are quality cricketers and have long careers ahead of them. They need to continue to focus on their cricket so that they are available, if required.\u201d
\nAccording to the PCB, the squad is scheduled to depart for Dublin on May 7 following a three-day training camp in Lahore from May 4-6.
\nPakistan play Ireland in Dublin on May 10, 12 and 14.
\nFour matches follow against England at Headingley in Leeds on May 22, Edgbaston in Birmingham (May 25), Sophia Gardens in Cardiff (May 28) and the Oval in London (May 30).
\nSquad: Babar Azam (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Azam Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Rizwan, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Agha Salman, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usman Khan.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Islamabad Pakistan on Thursday recalled fast bowler Haris Rauf and medium-pacer Hasan Ali for T20 internationals in Ireland and England later this month, their final warm-ups for the World Cup. The development came as the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) named the 18-man squad that will take on Ireland from May 10-14 and England from May […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":285413,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-404332","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-sports"},"yoast_head":"\n