ISLAMABAD (AP) Pakistan selectors have dropped opening batsman Nasir Jamshed and leftarm spinner Abdul Rehman for this month's Twenty20 internationals against Afghanistan and Sri Lanka.
Lefthanded batsmen Sharjeel Khan and Haris Sohail were included in the 14-man squad on Sunday while the selectors left out allrounders Abdul Razzaq and Shoaib Malik.
Jamshed, the lefthanded opener, could score only 56 runs in the three Twenty20s against the Proteas. Malik and Razzaq both returned home due to injuries before the series began against the Proteas in South Africa.
While Malik recovered from a finger injury and played in the domestic Twenty20 tournament in Lahore, Razzaq is still recovering from a hamstring injury he sustained during a practice session in Johannesburg last month.
Newcomer Khan is yet to make his international debut while Sohail has played one T20 international against West Indies and four ODIs.
Mohammad Hafeez, who lost the T20 series against South Africa in the U.A.E. 2-0 and drew 1-1 against the Proteas in South Africa, was retained as captain.
Offspinner Saeed Ajmal will miss the T20 international against Afghanistan at Sharjah on Dec. 8 due to family reasons but the Pakistan Cricket Board said he will join the team for the two Twenty20s against Sri Lanka on Dec. 11 and 13 in Dubai.
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Squad: Mohammad Hafeez (captain), Ahmad Shehzad, Sharjeel Khan, Sohaib Maqsood, Umar Amin, Umar Akmal, Shahid Afridi, Zulfiqar Babar, Bilawal Bhatti, Junaid Khan, Sohail Tanvir, Anwar Ali, Saeed Ajmal, Haris Sohail.