Ahmed Shehzad, Kamran Akmal return to Pakistan ODI squad for West Indies tour

Kamran Akmal the leading run-scorer of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) and Ahmed Shehzad the highest run-getter of the National One-Day Cup for his department have both been recalled to the Pakistan One-Day International team for the tour of West Indies. Pakistan will play 3 ODIs after the 4-match T20I series and the limited-overs leg will be followed by 3 Tests.

The elder Akmal brother was a part of the champion Peshawar Zalmi squad and scored 353 runs in the PSL to complement that he also has impressive domestic numbers – 361 runs in the National One-Day Cup and 1035 runs in Pakistan’s first-class tournament the Quaid-e-Azam made a fitting case for his comeback.

While Kamran was able to do that his younger brother Umar Akmal failed the fitness test devised by the Pakistani selectors and thus was not considered for selection in either of the ODI or T20I teams. Shehzad, on the other hand, had been making his bat do the talking in domestic cricket with 653 runs in the National One-Day Cup. Three half centuries in 10 PSL outings also aided his selection.

The batting department thus boasts of the likes of Babar Azam, Shehzad, Akmal, Mohammad Hafeez and Shoaib Malik. There are the new faces in the ODI team as well- Fakhar Zaman who was among the 31 players included in the preliminary squad has been named in the team for the first time along with Asif Zakir, right-arm medium pacer Faheem Ashraf who represents Habib Bank in One-Day Cup and left-arm spinner Muhammad Asghar.

The selectors having rested Mohammad Amir from the T20I squad included him for the ODIs; the bowling attack also includes experienced pacers in Wahab Riaz and Junaid Khan. Spin bowling responsibilities lie with Imad Wasim, Hafeez, and the rookie Asghar.

Pakistan ODI squad for West Indies tour:

Ahmed Shehzad, Kamran Akmal, Muhammad Hafeez, Babar Azam, Shoaib Malik, Fakhar Zaman, Asif Zakir, Sarfraz Ahmed (C), Imad  Waseem, Shadab Khan, Hassan Ali, Wahab Riaz, Muhammad Amir, Faheem Ashraf, Junaid Khan, Muhammad Asghar

Pakistan T20I squad for West Indies tour:

Ahmad Shehzad, Mohammad Hafeez, Kamran Akmal, Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Shoaib Malik, Sarfraz Ahmed (C), Imad Wasim, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Hasan Ali, Sohail Tanvir, Wahab Riaz, Usman Khan Shinwari, Ruman Raees