Pakistan announce squads for ODIs and T20I against Australia; Younis Khan dropped

Younis Khan

The Pakistan selectors have left out veteran Younis Khan from their ODI squad for the series against Australia in October. The announcement has come after the senior cricketer expressed his intentions to play in the 2015 World Cup Down Under.

The 36-year-old veteran played his first ODI since March 2013 against Sri Lanka this August where he made just three at Hambantota. The batsman rushed back to Pakistan to attend the death of his nephew, taking no further part in the ODI series which the visitors lost 2-1 after winning the first ODI.

Younis has played in 254 ODIs and made 7017 runs at an average of 31.75 including 6 tons and 48 fifties. Taking his place in the side are Umar Amin and Asad Shafiq. With respect to the suspension of Saeed Ajmal owing to illegal bowling action, left-arm spinner Raza Hasan has been drafted in as Zulfiqar Babar was dropped.

In the T20I squad led by Shahid Afridi, Saad Naseem of Lahore Lions is the only new face after his impressive showings in the domestic T20 competition back home. However, as many as 9 changes have been made to their squad that played the World T20 earlier this year with pace duo of Junaid Khan and Umar Gul facing the axe along with Kamran Akmal and Shoaib Malik.

The only T20I is scheduled for Dubai (DSC) on October 5 while the ODI series begins at Sharjah on 7th.

Pakistan ODI squad: Misbah-ul-Haq (capt), Ahmed Shehzad, Mohammad Hafeez, Umar Akmal , Fawad Alam, Umar Amin, Asad Shafiq, Shoaib Maqsood, Sarfraz Ahmed, Shahid Afridi, Raza Hasan, Mohammad Irfan, Anwar Ali, Wahab Riaz, Junaid khan

T20I squad: Shahid Afridi (capt), Ahmed Shahzad, Mohammad Hafeez, Umar Akmal, Umar Amin, Shoaib Maqsood, Awais Zia, Saad Naseem, Raza Hasan, Mohammad Irfan, Wahab Riaz, Bilwalal Bhatti, Anwar Ali, Sohail Tanvir