Pakistan Recall Ahmed Shehzad, Umar Akmal for Sri Lanka T20Is

The three Twenty20 internationals will all be played in Lahore on October 5, 7 and 9.

Pakistan have recalled the notorious Ahmed Shehzad and middle-order batsman Umar Akmal for the three-match Twenty20 International series against Sri Lanka that gets underway this weekend.

Incidentally, this will be the first time the 27-year-old Shehzad will represent Pakistan since he was slapped with a four-month ban for failing a dope test last year. The ban was further extended by six weeks after Shehzad violated rules by playing club matches despite the ban.

Shehzad played the last of his 57 Twenty20 internationals in Scotland in June last year.

Meanwhile, the 29-yeard-old Umar played his last of 82 Twenty20 internationals in 2016 against the West Indies.

The three Twenty20 internationals will all be played in Lahore on October 5, 7 and 9.

The announcement was made by former Pakistan captain and chief selector Misbah-ul-Haq on Wednesday as the squad geared up to meet Sri Lanka for the third and final one-day international in Karachi.

“From the ODI side against Sri Lanka there are three changes. Shehzad, Umar and Faheem Ashraf have replaced Abid Ali, Mohammad Rizwan and Imam-ul-Haq,” said Misbah.

Sarfaraz Ahmed will lead the Twenty20 squad.

Pakistan’s T20I squad: Sarfaraz Ahmed (captain), Babar Azam (vice-captain), Ahmed Shehzad, Asif Ali, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Sohail, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Nawaz, Shadab Khan, Umar Akmal, Usman Shinwari, Wahab Riaz