Pakistan have dropped out-of-form opening batsman Mohammad Hafeez for this month’s two-Test series against South Africa in the United Arab Emirates.
The axing was expected after Hafeez scored only 102 runs in his past five Test matches this year, including three against South Africa and two with lowly ranked Zimbabwe.
South Africa are the team against which Hafeez has always struggled, scoring only one half century and a total of 307 runs in 18 innings.
The selectors have named 12 players while three more will be added after Pakistan A play a three-day warm-up match against the Proteas next week in Sharjah.
Abu Dhabi will host the first Test from October 14 while the second match will be played in Dubai from October 23.
The Test team will be led by Misbah-ul-Haq, who had also come under criticism after Pakistan lost four of their past five test matches this year.
South Africa whitewashed Pakistan 3-0 in February before Zimbabwe shocked Misbah with a victory in the second Test at Harare last month to level the series 1-1.
Wicketkeeper Adnan Akmal returned to the team after being ignored for the Test series against Zimbabwe while selectors also named three specialist spinners – Saeed Ajmal, Abdul Rehman and uncapped Zulfiqar Babar – in the hope that the wickets will suit slow bowlers in the UAE like they did against England last year.
Pakistan whitewashed England 3-0 in 2012 with offspinner Ajmal taking 24 wickets in the three Test matches against the then No.1-ranked team.
Babar also impressed in this week’s three-day practice match between a PCB XI and Chief Minister’s XI when he took six wickets in an innings at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium.
The 12-man squad also includes three left-arm fast bowlers, Junaid Khan, the towering Mohammad Irfan and Rahat Ali.
Pakistan will rely heavily on their experienced middle order batsmen Younis Khan and Misbah along with Azhar Ali and Umar Amin. Another middle order batsman, Asad Shafiq, might also make the final 15-member squad, but needs to do well in the warm-up match against South Africa.
Test squad:
Misbah-ul-Haq (capt), Khurram Manzoor, Azhar Ali, Younis Khan, Umar Amin, Adnan Akmal, Saeed Ajmal, Zulfiqar Babar, Abdul Rehman, Junaid Khan, Mohammad Irfan, Rahat Ali.
