Misbah challenges dropped Shafiq to earn Pakistan recall

Misbah challenges dropped Shafiq to earn Pakistan recall

Asad Shafiq has paid the price for a lack of runs in Pakistan's Test series defeat in England but Misbah-ul-Haq offered the batsman hope.

 
 

Misbah-ul-Haq has challenged Asad Shafiq to earn a recall after he was dropped for Pakistan's tour of New Zealand.

Batsman Shafiq was on Wednesday omitted from a 35-man squad to face the Black Caps after a poor Test series in England.

Mohammad Amir and Shoaib Malik were also omitted from a touring party for three Twenty20 Internationals and two Tests against the Black Caps in December and January.

Uncapped Paceman Amad Butt, batsmen Danish Aziz and Imran Butt were included along with Rohail Nazir as the Pakistan selectors invested in youth.

Pakistan head coach Misbah, who named Mohammad Rizwan as Babar Azam's Test vice-captain and Shadab Khan as T20 deputy, says there can still be a way back for the 34-year-old Shafiq.

He said: "There are three major omissions from the side that toured England. Asad Shafiq has been left out due to lack of form after he managed 510 runs in his last 15 innings, including a total of 67 runs in England.

"Asad is an experienced batsman and I am sure he will utilise this time to work harder on his game in the domestic first-class matches so that he, like Sarfraz Ahmed, can reclaim his form and be back in contention for the upcoming Tests against South Africa and Zimbabwe.

"Shoaib Malik and Mohammad Amir are not part of the white-ball matches as for this tour we have opted to invest, develop and focus on the promising and emerging players who are likely to be available to Pakistan for all formats."

The first T20 will be staged at Eden Park on December 18 and the Test series gets under way at Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui on December 26.

Pakistan squad:

Abid Ali, Abdullah Shafique, Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Shan Masood, Zeeshan Malik, Babar Azam (captain), Azhar Ali, Danish Aziz, Fawad Alam, Haider Ali, Haris Sohail, Hussain Talat, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imran Butt, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Hafeez, Mohammad Rizwan, Rohail Nazir, Sarfraz Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Shadab Khan, Usman Qadir, Yasir Shah, Zafar Gohar, Amad Butt, Faheem Ashraf, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Musa, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sohail Khan, Wahab Riaz.