In naming the squads, which also includes the Pakistan “A” team for a match against England, the selection committee also consulted Pakistan head Coach Waqar Younis and captains Misbah-ul-Haq, Shahid Afridi and Azhar Ali.
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Mohammad Amir will be absent against England for both Pakistan and Pakistan A in the United Arab Emirates. Pakistan retained 36-year old Zulfiqar Babar as partner to lead spinner Yasir Shah and will name a third spinner in the squad following the “A” side’s tour games against England.
Imran took 16 wickets in seven matches, including a hat-trick, as he spearheaded Peshawar to the title with a win over Karachi in Tuesday’s final.
Ajmal, who turns 38 next month, has faced a tough time since returning to cricket from a five-month suspension after his bowling action was found to be illegal by the global Cricket Council previous year.
MOEEN Ali has been included in all three England squads to face Pakistan in the UAE this autumn.
Fast bowler Anwar will miss the Twenty20s after he sustained groin injury during the national T20 tournament, but will join the team before the three one-day internationals against Zimbabwe, which begins on october 1. Alam last played against New Zealand in November 2009, but has scored loads of runs in first-class cricket, including two centuries and five fifties.
Middle-order batsman Sohaib Maqsood has returned to Pakistan’s T20 and ODI squads for the tour of Zimbabwe after recovering from the wrist injury that kept him out of series against Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe. The wicketkeeper-batsman Sarfraz, added the PCB, was not considered for the T20I squad because he will he performing Haj.
The two T20s will be played on September 27 and 29 followed by the ODIs on October 1, 3 and 5.
The squad for T20 comprises of: Shahid Afridi (captain), Mohammad Hafeez, Ahmed Shehzad, Mukhtar Ahmed, Umar Akmal, Sohaib Maqsood, Shoaib Malik, Amir Yamin, Mohammad Irfan, Bilal Asif, Wahab Riaz, Imad Wasim, Sohail Tanvir, Mohammad Rizwan, and Imran Khan junior.
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Misbah-ul-Huq has been named to lead the side.
