Misbah-ul-Haq has omitted Mohd. Hafeez, Haider Ali and Abdullah Shafiq from the 15 man squad for the first ODI (One Day International) against Zimbabwe that is scheduled to be played in Rawalpindi tomorrow and hence, here is a look at the development.
Read: Pakistan’s First ODI Against Zimbabwe: A Look At The Possible Playing Eleven
Mohd. Hafeez, Haider Ali & Abdullah Shafiq Dropped
Mohd. Hafeez hasn’t played for Pakistan in the ODIs ever since the world cup after the selectors decided to give an opportunity to the younger players. Hence, the decision to drop the veteran batsman comes down as no surprise.
Given Misbah’s defensive mind-set, the decision to drop Haider Ali and Abdullah Shafiq then too doesn’t come down as a surprise. It is understood that the green shirts are playing an ODI after a pretty long period of time and therefore, the think-tank it seems wants to stick with some of the more experienced batsmen like Haris Sohail, Abid Ali and Iftikhar Ahmed.
Read: Shadab Khan Likely To Miss The First ODI Against Zimbabwe
Who Else Couldn’t Make It To The 15 Man Squad?
Vice-captain Shadab Khan is nursing an injury and thus, wasn’t included for the opening encounter. Usman Qadir’s inclusion in the 15 man squad and omission of Zafar Gohar then means that Usman is likely to make his international debut tomorrow.
Given Mohd. Rizwan’s form, dropping Rohail Nazir was an obvious decision. However, it is slightly surprising that the selectors have decided to select Musa Khan ahead of Mohd. Hasnain. Nevertheless, Haris Rauf should still be the favorite to play alongside Shaheen Afridi and Wahab Riaz as Pakistan’s third seamer against Zimbabwe.
Read: Inzamam-ul-Haq Criticizes PCB’s Tactics Before The Appointment Of Pakistan’s Test Captain
So, What Is Exactly Is The Squad?
The following players then have been selected for the first ODI against Zimbabwe.