Mohammad Amir Returns To Test Team For South Africa Series
Mohammad Amir was left out of the Pakistan team for the series against Australia and New Zealand.
Highlights
-
Amir was named in the 16-man squad for Test series against South Africa
-
Mohammad Amir last played for Pakistan during the Asia Cup in September
-
Mohammad Rizwan and Shan Masood have also been included in the Test squad
The Pakistan national selection committee on Friday recalled pacer Mohammad Amir for the upcoming three-match Test series against South Africa scheduled to commence from December 26 at Centurion. Announcing the 16-man squad for the series, chief selector Inzamam-ul Haq said that the team has been selected after consultation with skipper Sarfraz Ahmed and head coach Mickey Arthur. Amir, who was left out of the team after a poor outing in the 2018 Asia Cup in September, has been included in the team after regaining his form in domestic cricket.
"Mohammad Amir makes a comeback in the team after regaining his form in the domestic cricket, giving strength to fast bowling attack that includes four pace bowlers," said Inzamam after the selection committee meeting.
After his ouster from the team post Asia Cup, Amir missed out on the Pakistan's home series against Australia and New Zealand.
Recently, head coach Mickey Arthur hinted at a possible comeback of the left-arm pacer in the Pakistan team. Defining Amir as a quality bowler, Arthur said that he along with Azhar Mahmood was monitoring Amir's progress and hoping for a quick comeback of the 26-year-old.
Apart from Amir, Mohammad Rizwan has been included in the team as the second wicket-keeper while Shan Masood comes in place of Mohammad Hafeez, who retired from Test cricket after the third and final match against New Zealand.
Elaborating on the inclusion of Masood and Rizwan, Inzamam said that the team has been selected keeping in mind the conditions of South Africa.
Pakistan are scheduled to play 3Â Tests, 5 One-day Internationals (ODIs) and 3 T20 Internationals (T20Is) on their tour of South Africa.
Pakistan squad: Sarfraz Ahmad (capt/WK), Imam-ul Haq, Fakhar Zaman, Shan Masood, Azhar Ali, Haris Sohail, Asad Shafiq, Babar Azam, Muhammad Rizwan, Yasir Shah, Shadab Khan, Muhammad Abbas, Hassan Ali, Muhammad Amir, Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Shah Afridi.
Pakistan Cricket Team
South Africa Cricket Team
New Zealand Cricket Team
Sarfraz Ahmed