Pakistan recall Amir for South Africa Test series
37
Pakistan selectors Friday recalled fast bowler Mohammad Amir in the 16-member squad for the three-match Test tour of South Africa starting later this month.
Sarfraz Ahmed will lead the side, which opens the tour with the first Test at Centurion from December 26.
Pakistan will also play five one-day internationals and three Twenty20 internationals on the tour, for which squads will be announced later.
The second Test will be played at Cape Town from Jan 3 to 7 next year, while the third and final match is in Johannesburg from Jan 11 to 15.
Amir was dropped from the side after failing to get a single wicket in three Asia Cup matches in United Arab Emirates (UAE) in September this year.
He missed Pakistan's two-match Test series against Australia and then three Tests against New Zealand — both in UAE — but chief selector Inzamam-ul-Haq believes the left-armer has regained his form in domestic matches.
"Amir makes a comeback in the team after regaining his form in domestic cricket, giving strength to a fast bowling attack that includes four pace bowlers," said Inzamam while announcing the squad.
Also staging comebacks are leg-spinner Shadab Khan, and openers Fakhar Zaman and Shan Masood.
Zaman made his Test debut against Australia before he was ruled out of the New Zealand series with a knee injury, while Shadab missed both series due to a hamstring problem.
Masood, who played the most recent of his 12 Tests in Oct last year, was also brought back after recent good form, scoring twin hundreds in a four-day match against New Zealand 'A' two months ago.
Back-up wicketkeeper to Sarfraz, Mohammad Rizwan has also returned to the squad after his consistent performance in the domestic cricket and for Pakistan 'A'.
But there were no places for off-spinner Bilal Asif, who took five wickets in the ongoing Abu Dhabi Test against New Zealand, and Lahore opener Abid Ali, who has also been scoring heavily at the domestic level and for Pakistan 'A'.
Inzamam's nephew Imam-ul-Haq gets another chance despite scoring a mere 73 runs in three Tests against New Zealand.
Squad: Sarfraz Ahmed (captain), Imam-ul-Haq, Fakhar Zaman, Shan Masood, Azhar Ali, Haris Sohail, Asad Shafiq, Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, Yasir Shah, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Abbas, Hassan Ali, Mohammad Amir, Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Shah Afridi.
Read more
On DawnNews
Comments (37) Closed
Dec 07, 2018 05:05pm
Will lose all the test and Odis and t20. Pakistan under these batsmen will and can never win.
Recommend
0
Dec 07, 2018 05:14pm
Once again, talented Fawad Alam is not considered in the greenshirts squad for the upcoming rough and tough 2018-19 tour of South Africa. Furthermore, Imam-ul-Haq, who miserable failed against New Zealand on the docile and dead wickets of U.A.E. is included in the squad as an opening batsman to face one of the best pace bowling attack of the world on the fast and bouncy wickets of South Africa, for the one and the only reason that he is the nephew of the chief selector. Height of nepotism, unilaterism, eccentricity and shamelessness shown by the inept, cruel, inefficient and self-centered PCB selection committee.
Recommend
0
Dec 07, 2018 05:28pm
aamir failed to get a single wicket in asia cup and dropped weldone Pakistan so what have he done to come back into the side, well he took 7 wickets in the match mid nov ... good so he is fit and back in form, what is applied on aamir should be applied to imam as well, only because he is a perchi u keep him going, PATHETIC
Recommend
0
Dec 07, 2018 05:41pm
A good decision of PCB. Aamir deserves a chance to comeback and prove his worth.
Recommend
0
Dec 07, 2018 06:07pm
@Ali, the batting against NZ in tests was atrocious., including Sarfaraz.
Recommend
0
Dec 07, 2018 06:28pm
No meaningful contribution with the bat, poor captaincy by delaying taking of the second new ball are the main reasons for the loss of third test against NZ. Does Inzi have the courage to drop Sarfraz ?
R.S. Menon, Bangalore
Recommend
0
Dec 07, 2018 06:31pm
With this pathetic batting show, bowling advantage won't help always. Till we keep running with nepotism (Imam's inclusion despite worst ever performance in tests) winning in South Africa would only be a dream.
Recommend
0
Dec 07, 2018 06:45pm
@nazar naqvi, on what basis is he going? amir cant get wickets in Dubai or Sharjah, and relies on other bowlers from the other end on bouncy and green wickets, to build pressure. On what basis is he included? Junaid Khan is a hundred times better, as is Imran Khan junior and more recently Mir Hamza. Why are these brilliant bowlers being excluded?
Recommend
0
Dec 07, 2018 06:46pm
Parchi system and favoritism continues
Poor saad ali got discarded without getting a single game while imam ul haq failed miserably even on batting pitches in uae but yet again in the team
Poor mir hamza got discarded after a debut game on fast bowler graveyard yet discarded because he is not from punjab. He is a better bowler than Shaheen who is still young and learning but Mir Hamza could have wrecked havoc on south African pitches. He could easily have replaced hassan ali too but you cannot touch mickey favorites
There are much better wicketkeepers than rizwan but he continues to get free rides as backup
Recommend
0
Dec 07, 2018 06:52pm
I feel sorry for Abid Ali, who has been scoring heavily for Pakistan A and in the domestic league too, but unluckily is not a nephew of any board official.
Recommend
0
Dec 07, 2018 06:54pm
@fairplay. Sarfaraz need to step up his game and captaincy or just go.. can’t say enough. It spins my head to even talk about this so called expert in playing spin batting line up. Asad , and azhar being senior are just not good enough. We need and players with great level of game awareness. Current bunch of players doesn’t seem to have that...
Recommend
0
Dec 07, 2018 07:03pm
@MNKhan, Mir Hamza and Shaheen both deserve a place in the bowling line up. Mir Hamza also bats but in bowling, Shaheen is a gem of a find. I don't know what the basis of this pathetic decision to include amir is, but it is a joke. Feel sorry for some of these guys.
Recommend
0
Dec 07, 2018 07:08pm
Amir is a special talent and a potential match winner. Why was he not in the team against Newzeland?
Recommend
0
Dec 07, 2018 07:34pm
Why no Junaid and no Mir Hamza? Imagine these three as the main bowlers, wow. Yet they take tried and failed amir.
Recommend
0
Dec 07, 2018 07:35pm
Can't drop nephew
Recommend
0
Dec 07, 2018 07:36pm
Why has Imam been selected? What was his performance against New Zealand that warrants his selection? This is pure nepotism. They wont pick Fawad Alam and they've picked Imam. No wonder the team keeps losing games
Recommend
0
Dec 07, 2018 07:44pm
@Dr. Salaria, Aamir Ahmad, Fawad Alam will never be considered as long as Inzimam and Ramiz Raja has some influence in selection. Imam-ul-Haq is again considered despite scoring 73 runs in three tests against N, while Lahore opened Abid Ali who scored heavily in domestic cricket is ignored.
Recommend
0
Dec 07, 2018 07:48pm
Inzamam needs to go.
Recommend
0
Dec 07, 2018 07:52pm
It's a disgrace to call Sarfaraz Ahmed a batsman.
Recommend
0
Dec 07, 2018 08:22pm
If there was any decency in Inzamam, he would resign. But alas there are no metrics for selectors I guess. Imam is a repeated failure in tests, and so is Shan Masood. Maybe Shan is being selected to make Imam feel like a giant. Height of nepotism. Give deserving players a chance. Shan and Imam have had their shot
Recommend
0
Dec 07, 2018 08:40pm
Bowling is never an area of concern for pakistan. With amir without amir, pakistan will take all wickets against any team. Brainstorm on batsmen....other than babar remaining batsmen are inconsistent...
Recommend
0
Dec 07, 2018 09:36pm
Wow Imam selected again! Mediocre at best but he is related to chief selector so I guess that’s his resume. The other domestic openers must feel hopeless. If players like him are in the squad expect an early exit from WC 2019 also.
Recommend
0
Dec 07, 2018 10:55pm
The key news is: "Inzamam's nephew Imam-ul-Haq gets another chance despite scoring a mere 73 runs in three Tests against New Zealand."
Recommend
0
Dec 07, 2018 11:07pm
Pakistan cricket is a world class example of topsy-turvy play. While they lost the first test as a give away gift victory of just 4 runs, second test was an over whelming innings' victory and third test was even worse than the first where a 74 run 1st innings' lead was wasted into a 123 run losing in a miserable way.
Recommend
0
Dec 08, 2018 12:26am
I agree with this decision, however, PCB needs to talk to Amir and make sure he needs to perform. In the past he has stated he is not a machine, well if you are not performing (taking wickets) then you cannot be in the team and make such statements. No doubt you are talented but please stay humble and grounded.
Recommend
0
Dec 08, 2018 12:48am
Shan Masood has repeatedly failed but still gets selected. A better replacement would be Fawad Alam who is not only a left hander but a reliable all-rounder.
Recommend
0
Dec 08, 2018 01:51am
This corrupt, favored, nepotism, in selection for Chacha Bhattija collaboration, they deserved to lost the series, Inzamamul Haq using his nephew, and not selecting a qualified, deserving FAWAD ALAM, why bcs Inzi feel insecure to work with qualified selection committee members, Tousif /Hyder/Wasti ? does they have T20, ODI or sufficient test cricket, these 3 are puppet to Inzi, their salaries are high Inzi taking Rs.12 Lacs, plus other benefits, he only deserve Rs.2 lacs p/month similar his puppet getting Rs.3/4 lacs they should paid Rs.50,000 p/m. This is not free money. Inzi +his selectors should be fired immediately. To get equal share of other province not nephew, Also let me tell you that Aamir is not worth for Pak team, he is not an assets, a debt, and unable to perform. Imam is failed, and purchi and Sifarsi player nephew is not acceptable, inefficient selection committee, trusting Aamir ? Sooner or later we have and need new selection committee, this puppet should be fired. Aamir +Imam what their progress, I doubt their S.Africa tour they have difficult to win ?????
Recommend
0
Dec 08, 2018 03:30am
What basis did you select Imam again? Even Shan mAsood has been tried and tested so many times.. poor selection. Shaheen should be left to play limited overs for a while before taking him to test matches. I don’t know why selectors keep ignoring Ahmad Shahazad and Umar Akmal. If you don’t have a decent replacement of them than we rather have them in side.
Recommend
0
Dec 08, 2018 03:31am
Sarfaraz should be dropped from test side at least along with Imam. Shan MAsood is waste of space.
Recommend
0
Dec 08, 2018 04:28am
Inzamam is favouring Imam ul Haq in place of Fawad Alam again because he knows that if Fawad Alam gets selected then Imam's place will be in jeopardy.
Recommend
0
Dec 08, 2018 05:38am
Sarfraz should be dropped let alone be allowed to skip the side..
Recommend
0
Dec 08, 2018 12:09pm
Safaraz either needs to step up his game or step down, right from Asia cup the vulnerabilities of the team are getting exposed. Imam needs to go, though he is a good batsman but that blow to his head has destroyed his confidence. If he does not perform in south Africa ( which is likely the case) his career will end there. Let him play the domestic games to regain the confidence but unfortunately his uncle will keep him the team and which will eventually destroy his career.
Recommend
0
Dec 08, 2018 12:29pm
Amir is the future of Pak cricket. He may be going through a lean phase but remember form is temporary class is permanent. In the World Cup, if Pak has to win, Amir must perform.
Recommend
0
Dec 08, 2018 01:39pm
India won 8 games out of 10 in South Africa. If Pakistan wants to beat that, they will need Amir
Recommend
0
Dec 08, 2018 03:23pm
What is Fawad Alam ignored again and again. He deserve a chance.
This selection committee and especially Inzimamulhaq should be sent home asap. They are not doing a good job.
Recommend
0
Dec 09, 2018 02:38am
@Bharat, I totally agree. Amir is a gifted bowler.
Recommend
0
Dec 09, 2018 09:27am
What will be the fate of all those four five players who were in the team against New Zealand but did not played in the concluding series. Were they not selected on Merit?
Recommend
0
