PAK vs SL | Pakistan axe Hasan Ali and Mohammad Hafeez for ODIs against Sri Lanka

Misbah-ul-Haq has kick-started his role as the chief selector in sensational fashion by axing senior players Hasan Ali and Mohammad Hafeez for the upcoming ODIs against Sri Lanka. While Hasan had a disastrous World Cup picking just two wickets at an average of 128, Hafeez managed just one fifty in his eight innings, often failing to deliver when the team needed its senior players to stand up.

Meanwhile, Umar Akmal and Ahmed Shehzad, who were named in the list of probables, have also been ignored, while Haris Sohail and Asif Ali have been rewarded for their impressive showings in the last six months. Another notable absentee from the squad is tall and lanky quick Shaheen Afridi, who has reportedly been struggling with dengue. 

In a surprising move, however, Misbah also handed recalls to the duo of Mohammad Nawaz and Ifthikhar Ahmed, both of who have not played a single ODI in the last one year. Both men are coming on the back of impressive domestic performances and will be looking to strengthen their hold in the team.

The first of the three ODIs will be played in Karachi on September 27.

Pakistan ODI squad: Sarfaraz Ahmed (c), Babar Azam, Abid Ali, Asif Ali, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Sohail, Mohammad Hasnain, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Imam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan, Shadab Khan, Usman Khan Shinwari, Wahab Riaz