While Faheem Ashraf has been recalled after a break of more than two years, Shan Masood, who was named ODI vice-captain in January of this year, has been left out of the Pakistan squads for the next ODIs against Afghanistan in Sri Lanka as well as the Asia Cup.
The only players missing from the team that faced New Zealand in May were Masood, Haris Sohail, and Ihsanullah. This was the first squad chosen by new chief selector Inzamam-ul-Haq.
The 18-man team for the ODIs against Afghanistan contains Saud Shakeel, who performed admirably in the most recent Test series in Sri Lanka but has only had little action in ODIs over the years, but he is not a member of the 17-man Asia Cup roster.
“Preference has been given to Faheem Ashraf, since the squad doesn’t have another fast-bowling allrounder,” Inzamam remarked at a news conference after announcing the team. “He was in good form if you look at PSL and other competitions. And we need an all-around player, specifically one who can bowl quickly, for the World Cup.
Inzamam stated of Masood, “Shan has generally played quite well across formats. Unfortunately, his ODI performances have declined. Shan is on the list of 20–21 players that we have. We have to exclude Shan because Saud Shakeel and a few other players lately displayed great play. However, he is included in our plans.
Masood has only played nine one-day internationals in his career, four of them this year, totaling 52 runs with a high of 44.
Faheem made a comeback to the ODI team after a two-year absence. He has since played in Tests and T20Is, although his last ODI appearance was in July 2021 in England.
Meanwhile, Tayyab has received his second ODI call-up. The first came after a successful Pakistan Cup campaign in which he was the top run-getter, and before the three ODIs against New Zealand in January. In the most recent ACC Men’s Emerging Cup final in Colombo, Pakistan A defeated India A thanks to his game-winning 71-ball 108.
Ihsanullah has had trouble recovering from an elbow injury; according to the PCB’s medical panel, he is “undergoing a rehabilitation programme.” Mohammad Hasnain, who missed the ODI series against New Zealand and has only played one ODI since May 2021, is the other notable bowling absentee. ESPNcricinfo is aware that there are questions about his readiness for the 50-over format right now.
The squad will meet up in Hambantota on August 18, according to the PCB. Prior to that, a three-day camp will be held at the National Cricket Academy in Lahore from August 14 to August 16.
Inzamam stated that he would be keeping an open mind and that his selections for the World Cup, which will be held in India and begin on October 5, might not necessarily come from the roster listed below.
I’ve just joined, so I’ll keep an eye on the whole first-class system, he remarked. “Even though I only assumed leadership on Monday, a lot of activities were already underway. As we proceed, we’ll build a setup and further hone our procedures. The players we chose were recognised because they excelled in first-class cricket and other competitions.
Sometimes you assemble a 20 or 22-man squad, but if someone is in outstanding shape or the team requires adjustments, you might need someone from outside that pool. We are not only using these 17 or 18 guys; everyone who contributes can join the team.
On Monday, PCB Chairman Zaka Ashraf reinstated Inzamam as chief selector, just days after he had been added to a Misbah-ul-Haq-led cricket technical council that also included Mohammad Hafeez. Inzamam will no longer be a member of that committee as a result of his position as chief selector, and a replacement will be named in due time.
The committee only convened once. It is known that reforming domestic cricket was a high priority. Later this week, the PCB is anticipated to make significant adjustments to the forthcoming Quaid-e-Azam Trophy and the second-tier domestic competition. The major goal is to roll back reforms implemented by former PCB Chairman Ehsan Mani while Imran Khan served as the board’s patron.
The ODI World Cup will come after the Afghanistan series and the Asia Cup. A 15-man squad must be announced by September 5 for this tournament, with alterations allowed up until the final week of September.
The following players represent Pakistan in one-day internationals: Babar Azam (captain), Shadab Khan, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Fakhar Zaman, Abdullah Shafique, Imam-ul-Haq, Saud Shakeel, Salman Ali Agha, Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Nawaz, Usama Mir, Haris Rauf, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Afridi, Tayya
