Domestic studs, forgotten men reappear as chief selector springs more surprises in T20 squad

Veterans Mohammad Hafeez and Wahab Riaz as well as all-rounders Imad Wasim and Shadab Khan were the notable absentees as chief selector Mohammad Wasim named Pakistan's squad for the upcoming T20I series against South Africa.

The 20-member squad comprises of the following players:

Babar Azam, Haider Ali, Khushdil Shah, Hussain Talat, Danish Aziz, Asif Ali, Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Nawaz, Zafar Gohar, Faheem Ashraf, Aamer Yamin, Amad Butt, Mohammad Rizwan, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Hasnain, Hasan Ali, Usman Qadir, Zahid Mehmood

As per the precedent set by Wasim in the Test squad, the T20I group, too, featured a bunch of domestic stalwarts such as Zafar Gohar, Amad Butt, Zahid Mehmood and Danish Aziz. Aamer Yameen and Asif Ali, who had largely been forgotten, also marked their return.

Among the notable absentees were veterans Mohammad Hafeez and Wahab Riaz, Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Musa Khan, Imad Wasim, Shadab Khan and Abdullah Shafique.

The chief selector explained that Riaz's absence was performance-related whereas Shadab was injured, Imad had a family issue and Hafeez was unavailable due to his participation in the T10 league.

Wasim announced the squad in Lahore during a press conference, which was broadcast live on the Pakistan Cricket Board's official YouTube channel.

The incumbent chief selector, who had replaced Misbah-ul-Haq late last year, had sprang a series of surprises in the Test squad, opting to give opportunities to some of the top performers of domestic circuit, including Nauman Ali, who went on to have an exceptional debut against South Africa in the first Test.

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