Pakistan drop Umar Akmal for T20s against England
Friday 13 November 2015 11:59, UK
Umar Akmal will miss Pakistan's three-match Twenty20 series with England after being dropped on disciplinary grounds.
The 25-year-old is said to have "brought Pakistan cricket into disrepute", although the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) did not disclose the reason for his exclusion.
Chief selector Haroon Rashid confirmed Akmal was issued a "show cause notice" and dropped on the instructions of the PCB. There are varied reports that this follows his attendance at a 'dance party' in Hyderabad.
All-rounder Imad Wasim has been included in the 17-man squad on the basis he recovers from a broken finger ahead of the first T20 in the United Arab Emirates on November 26. Fellow all-rounder Bilal Asif is on stand-by and will replace Wasim if he fails to prove his fitness.
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Uncapped batsman Rafatullah Mohmand is also included following some spectacular performances for the Water and Power Development Authority in a recent domestic tournament.
Rookie batsman Iftikhar Ahmed, who will also replace the retired Younus Khan in the one-day international squad for the remaining three ODIs against England, was picked for the T20s.
There is no place for off-spinner Saeed Ajmal in the squad after he was stripped of his central contract by the PCB
Ajmal, who has not played in any format for his country since a tour of Bangladesh last spring, has been at loggerheads with authority for much of the past month.
The 38-year-old criticised elements of the International Cricket Council's increasingly strict policy on testing suspect bowling actions after he had to remodel his action after being tested last September.
PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan said: "We feel sorry over his comments. We have taken the minimum action on the violation of discipline and have suspended his contract, stopped releasing his salary and have asked him to explain his comments.
"We supported him a lot, invited [former Pakistan off-spinner] Saqlain [Mushtaq] to correct his action - so his comments were sad."
The second T20 is on November 27 followed by the final match of the series three days later.
Pakistan: Shahid Afridi (captain), Ahmed Shehzad, Mohammad Hafeez, Riffatullah Mohmand, Shoaib Malik, Sohaib Maqsood, Iftikhar Ahmed, Shahid Afridi, Mohammad Rizwan, Sarfraz Ahmed, Anwar Ali, Imran Khan Junior, Mohammad Irfan, Sohail Tanvir, Wahab Riaz, Amir Yamin, Imad Wasim.
