Pakistan have added veteran all-rounder Mohammad Hafeez to the squad for the two-Test series against Australia.
The 37-year-old is a late addition to the 17-man squad announced by the Pakistan selectors previously and will fly out to Dubai in the earliest possible flight ahead of the first Test, which gets under way on October 7.
“The national selection committee and team management have decided to include Hafeez for two-match Test series against Australia,” a Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) spokesman was quoted as saying by Cricbuzz.
The veteran has not featured in the five-day format for Pakistan ever since the Birmingham Test against England in August, 2016.
The right-hander has been in fine form in Pakistan’s domestic circuit of late, slamming a double ton in a first-class match for Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy clash against Peshawar. He has also been in excellent form with the ball in hand, with his off-spin fetching him 12 wickets across three matches.
Hafeez’s last Test came against England in 2016.
The all-rounder was in the news recently after being demoted from category A to B in the latest list of central contracts announced by the PCB.
He was included in Pakistan ODI’s squad for the tour of Zimbabwe but failed to get a single game before being dropped from the side for the Asia Cup in the UAE.
The Pakistan man has so far played 50 Tests for his country and he’s notched 3,452 runs under his belt at an average of nearly 40. His batting average in the UAE is much higher at 52.75 in 17 matches and that could be one reason for his late addition to the side.
UPDATED PAKISTAN 18-MAN SQUAD
Sarfraz Ahmed (c), Azhar Ali, Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, 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, Mohammad Hafeez.