Pakistan announce squad for Asia Cup, World T20; Shehzad, Gul dropped

Karachi, Feb 10: Pakistan selectors today axed seasoned opener Ahmed Shehzad and experienced pace bowler Umar Gul from the Asia T20 and ICC World T20 squad because of poor and inconsistent form.

Full schedule of World T20; List of squads for WT20

Batsmen Sohaib Maqsood and Muhammad Rizwan have also not been included in the 15-member squad for the two T20 events in Bangladesh and India.

The selectors, meanwhile, have inducted uncapped left arm pacer Rumman Raees and rookie allrounder Muhammad Nawaz, besides recalling Test opener Khurrum Manzoor, who has never played in a T20 international for Pakistan.

The exclusion of Shehzad, Maqsood and Rizwan - all batsmen - was expected as they had been struggling in recent matches.

The sources, in fact, said that the selectors had delayed the announcement of the squad for three days as they were uncertain about dropping Shehzad and were also considering wicketkeeper batsman Kamran Akmal.

"There were also some issues with the fitness of tall left arm pacer Muhammad Irfan also," a source said.

Chief selector Haroon Rasheed, in a statement, said that while picking the squad the team management and skipper Shahid Afridi were consulted.

"The T20 squad has been selected keeping in mind the conditions during Asia Cup and World T20 and the recent performances of some players in domestic and A team tours. The team is a fine blend of experience and youth and the selectors believe the team will do well in both tournaments," Rasheed said.

Nawaz, Raees and Manzoor have all impressed in the domestic tournament and on recent Pakistan A team tours. Nawaz, a left arm spinner and left handed batsman, has already snapped up two man of the match awards in the ongoing Pakistan Super League in Dubai.

Interestingly Nawaz, Raees, Manzoor and batsman Babar Azam, who has scored five half centuries in nine ODIs, and middle order batsman Ifthikar Ahmed have not played in a T20 international for the national team.

Pakistan's former fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar said he was upset at the ouster of Umar Gul but admitted that the pacer had been struggling with fitness issues for a while now.

"I am sad for him but he has not been his old self. But I am happy that Nawaz has finally got recognition for his consistent performances," Akhtar said.

Pakistan reached the final of the World T20 in its inaugural edition in 2007 and won it two years later in England but since then have failed to impress and also failed to reach the semi-finals of the last edition held in 2014 in Bangladesh.

Pakistan squad: Shahid Afridi (captain), Khurrum Manzoor, Muhammad Hafeez, Shoaib Malik, Umar Akmal, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Babar Azam, Ifthikar Ahmed, Emad Wasim, Anwar Ali, Muhammad Irfan, Wahab Riaz, Mohammad Aamir, Muhammad Nawaz, Rumman Raees.

PTI