Pakistan captain Mohammad Hafeez expects Shahid Afridi to recover from injury in time to play a decisive role in his country's attempt to win another ICC World Twenty20.
Pakistan left out pace bowler Mohammad Amir from their 15-man Twenty20 international squad to face Australia.
Pakistan's One-day captain Misbah-ul-Haq and Twenty20 skipper Mohammad Hafeez believe that the pace bowlers picked for the much-anticipated series in India have the ability to rattle the strong batting line-up of the hosts.
The PCB banned Shehzad for violating anti-doping regulations after he tested positive for a prohibited substance in May and his suspension was scheduled to end on November 10.
Test and ODI captain Misbah-ul Haq was dropped from Pakistan's provisional 30-man squad for September's World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka, but the PCB recalled Kamran Akmal after the wicketkeeper-batsman was cleared of suspicions of spot-fixing.
Opener Mohammad Hafeez missed out on a maiden double century but Pakistan continued to march towards a mammoth first innings total on the second day of the second Test against Sri Lanka on Sunday.
The Pakistan Cricket Board has no immediate plans to make any changes in the national team management and Misbah-ul-Haq and Mohammad Hafeez will continue as captains of the Test, ODI and T20 teams respectively.
Pakistan captain Mohammad Hafeez conceded that the team could not live up to the expectations of its fans at the World Twenty20 championships, but insisted that the side gave its best before being ousted in the semi-finals.
Rangana Herath claimed three wickets for 25 runs as Sri Lanka beat Pakistan by 16 runs in the first semi-final of the World Twenty20 in Colombo on Thursday.
Mitchell Marsh not only prevented Lahore Lions from making it to the semi-finals of the Champions League Twenty20, but also paved the way for Chennai Super Kings' entry into the last-four stage.
Pakistan's selectors have recalled Kamran Akmal, Abdul Razzaq and Imran Nazir for the Twenty20 series against Australia in the UAE in August, and September's ICC T20 World Cup in Sri Lanka. Mohammad Hafeez has also been retained captain of the T20 team till the end of the year in what is a major boost for the all-rounder.
Monty Panesar ripped through Pakistan's top order to reduce the hosts to 125 for four by the close of the third day of the second Test on Friday, 55 runs ahead of England's first innings total.
Having conceded a 146-run first innings lead, England collapsed to 160 all out in their second innings, failing to recover after Umar Gul had wrecked their top order with a three-wicket burst.
Persistent rain allowed only 14 balls to be bowled in the third One-Day International between Sri Lanka and Pakistan on Wednesday and the match ended in a no-result.
Captain Mohammad Hafeez and bowler Umar Gul put their Test woes behind them as Pakistan beat South Africa by 95 runs on Sunday to win the two-match Twenty20 series 1-0.
Injured Pakistan's all-rounder Mohammad Hafeez Muhammad Hafeez gave credence to speculation that he was sent back home from the World Cup against his wishes after a disagreement with the team management as he said that he could have recovered from his injury in time for the showpiece event beginning on Saturday.
The pay hike announced by Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) in the central contracts and match fees has not been received well by many of the leading national team players.
Flamboyant Pakistan allrounder Shahid Afridi has assured his full support and backing for the new T20 team captain Mohammad Hafeez.
Pakistan players have been refused permission to play in the lucrative Bangladesh Twenty20 league by their cricket board in order to concentrate on next month's Test series against England in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
Younis Khan smashed an unbeaten double hundred and Asad Shafiq helped himself to his maiden Test century before regular strikes put Pakistan on course for a win in the first Test against Bangladesh on Sunday.
The Pakistan Cricket Board appointed Mohammad Hafeez in place of Misbah ul-Haq as captain of the T20 squad for the upcoming tour of Sri Lanka. While Misbah will continue to lead Pakistan in Tests and ODIs, Hafeez will be his deputy in the two formats.
Unbeaten half-centuries from Mohammad Hafeez and Taufiq Umar put Pakistan in a commanding position after they had dismissed Bangladesh for 135 on the first day of the first Test on Friday.
Mohammad Hafeez highlighted the deficiencies in Pakistan cricket in terms of nurturing talent after a young Indian side defeated Australia
Mohammad Hafeez and Shoaib Malik grabbed two wickets each to lead Pakistan to a comfortable 50-run win over Bangladesh in a low-scoring one-off Twenty20 international on Tuesday.
In-form Pakistan batsman Mohammad Hafeez returned to Pakistan's 15-member squad for the Test series against Sri Lanka, starting in the United Arab Emirates, next week. Hafeez scored three centuries in four One-Day Internationals in the ongoing series against Sri Lanka.
Mohammad Hafeez continued his rich vein of form and closed in on his maiden double hundred in Tests as Pakistan reached 281 for three against New Zealand at the close on the first day of the third and final Test on Wednesday.
The selectors have also put Bilal Asif, Imran Butt, Musa Khan and Mohammad Nawaz on standby to cover for any player who fails pre-tour COVID-19 Testing scheduled later this month.
Images from Day 2 of the first Test between Pakistan and England in Dubai.
Pakistan built on a strong start from openers Mohammad Hafeez and Taufeeq Umar to take a 96-run first innings lead, with three wickets in hand, after the second day of the opening Test against England on Wednesday.
Images of the Day 1 of the first Test between Pakistan and England.
Pakistan's Saeed Ajmal flummoxed England's batsmen with his off-spin for a career-best haul in Tests of seven for 55 to dismiss the visitors for 192 on the first day of the opening Test in Dubai on Tuesday. In reply, Pakistan openers Mohammad Hafeez (22) and Taufeeq Umar (18) survived 15 overs from the number one-ranked Test side to finish on 42-0 at the close, 150 runs in arrears.
Big burly Australian all-rounder Shane Watson was the top run getter in T20s in 2011 with 195 runs in five matches, while Pakistan's Mohammad Hafeez scalped the most number of wickets (10 in five matches) in the year.
Mohammad Hafeez scored his first One-day century and Shahid Afridi blasted the equal-fastest half century in New Zealand as Pakistan levelled their One-day series against the hosts following a 43-run victory at Lancaster Park on Saturday.
Pakistan beat Bangladesh by seven wickets on the fifth day of the second Test to complete a 2-0 series sweep on Wednesday.
Taufiq Umar closed in on a half-century as Pakistan reached 87 for one in reply to Bangladesh's 338 all out on the second day of the second Test on Sunday.
Younus Khan closed in on a century after Mohammad Hafeez hit a career-best 143 as Pakistan strengthened their grip on the first Test against Bangladesh on Saturday.
Experienced Pakistan all-rounder Mohammad Hafeez provided a surprise on Tuesday when he bowled his quota of four overs for Lahore Whites in the ongoing national T20 championship in Rawalpindi.
Off-spinner Saeed Ajmal took his fourth five-wicket haul in Tests as Pakistan completed a facile nine-wicket win within four days in the second Test against Sri Lanka on Saturday to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
The Pakistan spinners got in on the act after pace duo Umar Gul and Junaid Khan ripped through the Sri Lankan top order to bundle out the tourists for 239 in their first innings on day one of the second Test on Wednesday.
