LAHORE: Veteran all-rounder Mohammad Hafeez and Imad Wasim were picked while young pacer Mohammad Amir and all-rounder Mohammad Nawaz were axed as the national selection committee on Friday announced a 15-member squad for the forthcoming ODI series against New Zealand.

The three-match series will be held in the UAE from Nov 7 to 11 after the ongoing T20 series.

Both Hafeez and Imad were not part of the squad that featured in the Asia Cup staged in the UAE recently. Performing disastrously in the continental event, Pakistan failed to qualify for the final after losing the do-or-die Super Four stage match against Bangladesh.

The 26-year-old Amir — generally considered national team’s pace spearhead — has not fared impressively with the leather since displaying that match-winning 3-16 show against arch-rivals India in the ICC Champions Trophy final at The Oval last year.

For some it may look as mighty surprising stats: since January this year, Amir has snared only three wickets in his last 10 ODI outings at a very expensive average of 100.66! The new-ball bowler, who resumed his international career in early 2016 after serving a five-year spot-fixing ban imposed by the ICC, could not pick a single wicket in his last five games, three of those were in the Asia Cup.

Slow left-arm spinner Nawaz remained below par in the Asia Cup where he picked three wickets (all against Afghanistan) in three games. The 24-year-old player holds a very modest bowling record in ODI format (16 wickets in 14 matches at 36.43).

On the other hand, Hafeez and Imad who demonstrated fine show in the recent three-match T20 series against Australia in the UAE, have caught the eyes of the national selectors.

Right-handed Hafeez, whose bowling action was cleared for third time by the ICC recently, produced a consistent performance with the bat in the just-completed T20 series against Australia. Possessing a massive 200-match ODI experience, Hafeez is expected to play a major role in the New Zealand ODIs.

The 29-year-old Imad, a slow left-arm spinner who bats down the order who has played 30 ODIs so far, last appeared in a one-dayer in October last year against Sri Lanka at Sharjah.

Pakistan face Kiwis in the first ODI on Nov 7 in Abu Dhabi followed by the second game at the same venue on Nov 9 while the third match will be staged in Dubai on Nov 11.

Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq are included as openers. In-form batsman Babar Azam, Haris Sohail and Asif Ali along with experienced pro Shoaib Malik are also in the squad.

Leg-spiner Shadab Khan and Imad are the two spinners in the team. The pace attack comprises Faheem Ashraf, Hasan Ali, Junaid Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Usman Shinwari.

Squad:

Imam-ul-Haq, Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Hafeez, Shoaib Malik, Babar Azam, Haris Sohail, Asif Ali, Sarfraz Ahmed (captain), Hasan Ali, Imad Wasim, Shadab Khan, Faheem Ashraf, Usman Shinwari, Shaheen Afridi, Junaid Khan

Published in Dawn, November 3rd, 2018