Experienced Pakistan all-rounders, Shoaib Malik and Abdul Razzaq will return to the national team for the Twenty20 series against South Africa, according to a source in the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).
A reliable source close to the PCB selection committee told PTI on Friday that it had been decided to recall the two senior players.
“Razzaq will get a chance to play for Pakistan in the T20 series for the first time since September, 2012, when he played in the World T20 championship in Sri Lanka,” the source said.
He said the selectors had decided to test out the two seniors in the T20 series and if they perform well they would also be considered for the One-Day International (ODI) series against Sri Lanka which follows in December in the UAE.
“The selectors are also feeling the pressure over the constant failure of the batsmen and once the turmoil in the PCB is sorted out there will also be serious discussion on whether Misbah-ul-Haq should be retained as captain of the one-day side,” the source stated.
The selectors have also decided to add left-arm spinner Zulfiqar Babar and pacer Ehsan Adil to the T20 squad.
Pakistan plays two T20 matches against South Africa later this month.
Pakistan cricket team and its batsmen have come in for scathing criticism after flopping in the second Test and first two ODIs against South Africa.
“If Pakistan don’t have the services of Misbah and Saeed Ajmal, this team can’t even win against Bangladesh,” an upset former captain Wasim Akram told a television channel.
Wasim sarcastically advised the selectors to pick veteran all-rounder Shahid Afridi purely as a bowler and make him bat lower down the order.