LAHORE - Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) new selectors Friday picked magical spinner Saeed Ajmal for all three formats after clearance of bowling action for Bangladesh tour while dropped under-performing batsman Umar Akmal from all the formats.
In the limited-overs team, three batsmen from World Cup squad Nasir Jamshed (average 1.
66), Umar Akmal (27.
33), and Ahmed Shehzad (32.
42) were axed, while Younus Khan (14.
33) was rested.
The new selection committee, headed by former batsman Haroon Rasheed, warned the squads that discipline would be closely watched.
"We have told the players that Pakistan comes first.
There will be no compromise on discipline and that's why we have dropped Umar Akmal from all formats and Ahmed Shahzad from two.
"
Head coach Waqar Younis had complained about Shahzad and Umar's lack of discipline during Pakistan's World Cup campaign, which ended in a quarter-final defeat to hosts and eventual champions Australia.
Umar managed just 164 runs in seven matches while Shahzad scored 222 in as many games.
"We saw the detailed tour report of the World Cup, and there's a clear message from us.
We expect thorough professionalism from all the players and for this, if we have to take some strict measures, we will not hesitate," he added.
Misbah-ul-Haq and Shahid Afridi, who have retired from the 50-over format, will captain in the tests and Twenty20s respectively.
Azhar Ali, who was ignored for the World Cup, will lead the one-day international team, with middle-order batsmen Fawad Alam and Asad Shafiq making comebacks.
Pakistan is scheduled to play two tests, three ODIs and a Twenty20 in Bangladesh from this month.
Ajmal was suspended from international cricket last year due to an illegal bowling action, but remodeled his technique and was cleared in February.
Pakistan's top order batsmen struggled in the World Cup, where it was eliminated in the quarterfinals by eventual champion Australia.
All-rounder M Hafeez was also named in all three formats after missing the World Cup due to a foot injury.
Hafeez is also suspended from bowling in international cricket but is due to undergo official testing of his action in Chennai, India, next week.
The selectors have included rookie opening batsman Sami Aslam in the Test and ODI squads while another rookie middle-order batsman, M Rizwan, was in the ODI and T20 squads.
While Jamshed and Akmal were ignored for all three formats, Shahzad managed to keep his place in the T20 squad.
In the absence of injured tall fast bowler M Irfan, the selectors kept faith in Pakistan's four-pronged pace attack in the World Cup comprising of Wahab Riaz, Sohail Khan, Rahat Ali, and Ehsan Adil for the limited-overs cricket.
Fast bowler Umar Gul has to prove his fitness after being picked for just the T20.
Pakistan will play two Tests, three one-day internationals and a Twenty20 on the Bangladesh tour, with the first one-dayer starting on April 17.
SQUADS:
Test: Misbah-ul-Haq (capt), Babar Azam, M Hafeez, Sami Aslam, Asad Shafiq, Azhar Ali (vc), Younus Khan, Haris Sohail, Saeed Ajmal, Yasir Shah, Zulfiqar Babar, Sarfraz Ahmed, Wahab Riaz, Junaid Khan, Sohail Khan and Rahat Ali.
ODI: Azhar Ali (capt), Sami Aslam, Sarfraz Ahmed (vc), M Hafeez, Asad Shafiq, Fawad Alam, M Rizwan, Haris Sohail, Sohaib Maqsood, Saeed Ajmal, Yasir Shah, Wahab Riaz, Rahat Ali, Ehsan Adil and Sohail Khan.
T20: Shahid Afridi (capt), Ahmed Shehzad, Sarfraz Ahmed (vc), M Hafeez, Mukhtar Ahmed, Sohaib Maqsood, Haris Sohail, M Rizwan, Saeed Ajmal, Saad Nasim, Sohail Tanveer, Wahab Riaz, Sohail Khan, Umar Gul and Junaid Khan.
