Pakistan announces ODI team for South Africa tour

Shahid Afridi has made a comeback to the Pakistani squad for the ODI series against South Africa.

Islamabad, Feb 21 (IANS) The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced a 16-man squad for the upcoming One-day International (ODI) series against South Africa, recalling former captain Shahid Afridi back to the team.

The 32-year-old, famous for his big hitting, was dropped from the team that visited India in December last year due to his continued poor performance with both bat and ball, reports Xinhua.

“We thought that the team needed a spinner to back Saeed Ajmal in the One-day series and this could be Afridi’s last chance to prove his credentials and he has to perform,” PCB chief selector Iqbal Qasim told a press conference in Lahore Wednesday night.

The PCB selection committee retained Misbah ul Haq as captain of the side for the five-match series starting next month, with the first match at Bloemfontein on March 10.

Besides the announcement of the ODI team, PCB also named a 15-member squad for two Twenty20 International matches scheduled to be held March 1 and 3.

Middle-order batsman Umar Akmal and fast bowler Wahab Riaz were also selected for both Twenty20s and ODIs formats after their performance in domestic games.