Mohammad Asif not included by Pakistan in squad to play England
Monday 28 September 2015 09:47, UK
Mohammad Amir has not been included in either the Pakistan or Pakistan A side for next month’s Test series against England in the United Arab Emirates.
Amir is now free to resume his international career after serving a spot-fixing ban for his part in a scam to bowl no balls during the Lord's Test against England in 2010.
The left-armer has featured in just nine Twenty20 matches this year and seemed unlikely to feature in Pakistan's Test team, although there was speculation he could figure for the A side who play two warm-up matches against England.
Amir was just 18 at the time of the spot-fixing controversy and was forced to serve time in prison along with then captain Salman Butt and seamer Mohammad Asif, who were also implicated in the scandal. Amir had previously become the youngest bowler to reach 50 Test wickets.
Pakistan, who travel to Zimbabwe before playing England in the UAE, have left one spot open in the Test squad.
Selectors will add one of two left-arm spinners - Zafar Gohar or Mohammad Ashgar - to complete the 16-man squad, depending which one impresses most in the two warm-up matches in Sharjah.
Left-handed batsman Fawad Alam has also been recalled to the Test side after last featuring in the longer format for Pakistan against New Zealand almost six years ago.
Pakistan Test squad (v England): Misbah-ul-Haq (captain), A Shehzad, S Masood, A Ali, M Hafeez, F Alam, A Shafiq, Y Khan, S Ahmed, Y Shah, Z Babar, Wahab Riaz, Imran Khan, R Ali, Junaid Khan.
Pakistan A squad (v England): Junaid Khan (captain), S Asalm, K Manzoor, F Alam, U Amin, A Asad, I Ahmed, U Salahuddin, A Akmal, M Asghar, Z Gohar, E Adil, Z Haq, M Hamza.
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