Mohammad Hafeez has been included in the Pakistan squad for the upcoming two-match Test series against Australia in UAE. Initially, Hafeez was not in the 17-man Pakistan squad for the upcoming Test series, but the national selection committee has added him on Monday to strengthen their squad.
Hafeez wasn’t selected in the recently concluded Asia Cup 2018 in UAE, where Pakistan hugely disappointed, especially in their batting performances and they even failed to qualify in the final of the tournament. Observing the present team condition, the selectors have added the all-rounder Hafeez to strengthen the squad.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) released a statement on Hafeez’s addition, “The national selection committee and the team management has decided to include Hafeez for the two Tests against Australia.”
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Hafeez is returning in the Test arena after more than two years as he played his last Test in August 2016 against England at Birmingham. Hafeez has played 50 Tests where the right-handed batsman has scored 3,452 runs (average 39.22) and the right-arm off-spinner has taken 52 wickets (average 33.90).
Hafeez has earned the latest opportunity after recently scoring a double-century in a first-class game. During a domestic first-class match, the Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited captain Hafeez played a 213 runs knock against Peshawar at Faisalabad, where his team won by an innings and 105 runs. Moreover, he also picked up four wickets in that game.
The two-match Test series against Australia will begin on October 7 at Dubai. The second Test will be played at Abu Dhabi from 16 October. After this Test series, Australia will finish this tour with the three-match T20I series.
Pakistan Test squad: Sarfraz Ahmed (capt/wk), Azhar Ali, Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Hafeez, Babar Azam, Asad Shafiq, Haris Sohail, Usman Salahuddin, Yasir Shah, Shadab Khan, Bilal Asif, Mohammad Abbas, Hasan Ali, Wahab Riaz, Faheem Ashraf, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Rizwan.
