Kamran Akmal, Shoaib Malik recalled for World Twenty20

KARACHI: Pakistan cricket board on Friday announced the national squads for the ICC World Twenty20 and the Asia Cup, handing recalls to Kamran Akmal and Shoaib Malik. The squad includes Mohammad Hafeez (Captain), Shahid Afridi, Shoaib Malik, Saeed Ajmal, Umer Gul, Sherjeel Khan, Sohaib Maqsood, Junaid Khan, Bilawal Bhatti, Sohail Tanvir, Umar Akmal, Zulfiqar Babar, Mohammad Talha, Kamran Akmal, and Ahmed Shehzad. Asia Cup squad PCB also announced the team for ACC Asia Cup on Friday, retaining Misbahul Haq as captain. The team includes: Misbahul Haq (captain) Muhammad Hafeez, Ahmad Shahzad, Sharjeel Khan, Shahid Khan Afridi, Umar Akmal, Sohaib Maqsood, Fawad Alam, Saeed Ajmal, Abdul Rehman, Junaid Khan, Umar Gul, Anwar Ali, Bilawal Bhatti, and Muhammad Talha. Mohammad Irfan left out Mohammad Irfan was left out of Pakistan’s 15-man squads for this month’s Asia Cup and next month’s World Twenty20 after a recurrence of a hip injury, selectors said Friday. Irfan — the tallest ever man to play international cricket at 7 feet one inch — fractured his hip in Pakistan’s Twenty20 series against South Africa in United Arab Emirates in November last year. However, his recovery proved short lived when the injury recurred in a domestic tournament this week, prompting chief selector Azhar Khan to say Irfan had to be left out of the squads. Umar Gul has been recalled for the one-day international Asia Cup. Missing from the Asia Cup squad is Sohail Tanweer, who is only in the World Twenty20 squad. Wahab Riaz and Mohammed Irfan are on neither teams. Women’s cricket team Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) also named on Friday a 14-member Pakistan women squad for the series against Bangladesh and for next month’s ICC Women’s World Twenty20. Sana Mir has been retained as the captain of the team while Bismah Maroof would be her deputy. The series against Bangladesh will be played from March 2 to March 15 at Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh. Three ODIs and five T20 matches will be played against the Bangladesh team. The ICC Women’s World Twenty 20 to be held in Sylhet, March 16 to April 16. A training camp will be at Lahore Country Club, Muridke from February in build-up for the events. The women’s sqauad includes Sana Mir (Captain), Bismah Maroof (Vice Captain), Syeda Nain Fatima Abidi, Nida Rashid, Javeria Wadood, Syeda Batool Fatima Naqvi (wicketkeeper), Asmavia Iqbal Khokhar, Qanita Jalil, Sumaiya Siddiqui, Sadia Yousaf, Bibi Nahida, Sania Iqbal, Sidra Amin and Marina Iqbal.