Shahnawaz Dahani, Sharjeel Khan named in Pakistan squad; Imad Wasim shockingly excluded
Sharjeel Khan, the tainted Pakistan batsman has been named in the Pakistan squad for the upcoming limited-overs tour of South Africa. The Pakistan Cricket Board named him to the T20I squad after a great showing in the last two Pakistan Super League finals. Sharjeel, 31, was banned for five-years in August 2017 by the Anti-Corruption Tribunal of the Pakistan Cricket Board for his involvement in spot-fixing during the 2017 PSL. Later on, after several appeals, half his sentence was suspended. Apart from Sharjeel, the selection committee has rewarded young fast bowlers Shahnawaz Dahani, Muhammad Wasim Jr. and Arshad Iqbal for showing great form during the PSL6. While Dahani is the T20 squads travelling to South Africa, Dahani is in the test squad and will only travel to Zimbabwe. Fakhar Zaman has made comeback in the ODI squad as an opener. The major exclusions include Shoaib Malik, Imad Wasim, Hussain Talat and Iftikhar Ahmed. Experienced leg spinner Yasir Shah has been kept out of the squad due to injury. Shahab Khan would be the lead leg spinner in the white ball squad while Quetta Gladiators’ Zahid Mahmood has been named in the Test squad. While the white ball squad will leave for Johannesburg on March 26 on a chartered flight, the Test specialists will land in Zimbabwe on April 12. Pakistan squads: T20: Babar Azam (Capt), Sharjeel Khan, Asif Ali, Haider Ali, Muhammad Hafeez, Danish Aziz, Faheem Ashraf, Muhammad Nawaz, Muhammad Wasim jr, Shadab Khan (VC), Muhammad Rizwan, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Arshad Iqbal, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Muhammad Hasnain, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usman Qadir. ODI: Abdullah Shafique, Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam (Capt), Danish Aziz, Imam ul Haq, Saud Shakeel, Haider Ali, Faheem Ashraf, Muhammad Nawaz, Muhammad Wasim jr, Shadab Khan (VC), Muhammad Rizwan, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Muhammad Hasnain, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usman Qadir. Test: Abid Ali, Abdullah Shafique, Imran Butt Babar Azam (Capt), Fawad Alam, Azhar Ali, Saud Shakeel, Salman Ali Agha, Faheem Ashraf, Muhammad Nawaz, Muhammad Rizwan (VC), Sarfaraz Ahmed, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shahnawaz Dahani, Tabish Khan, Zahid Mahmood, Sajid Khan and Nauman Ali.