Akmal back in Pakistan T20 squad for series against England, injured Wasim

After failing to recover from hand injury, Pakistan all-rounder Imad Wasim has been ruled out of the squad for the upcoming T20 series against England.

Umar had been initially omitted from the squad for having brought disrepute to the PCB and Pakistan cricket. Akmal had also denied any wrongdoing at the party.

The batsman was playing a domestic game in Hyderabad when it was reported that Umar Akmal was caught at an unethical place where he was doing an unethical activity. The PCB suspected Umar, along with Hyderabad player Azeem Ghumman, was involved in the activity and approached the local police to check if there was any report registered against him, but found nothing concrete to charge any player, and chose to clear Umar’s name for national selection.

Wasim has played five ODIs and as many T20Is, impressing with a last-over six to guide Pakistan to victory against Sri Lanka in a T20I in August.

PCB medical officer Sohail Saleem said after inspection of Wasim’s injury it was decided not to risk him. Though he was dropped from the Twenty20 squad after being handed a show-cause notice for bringing the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and Pakistan Cricket into disrepute, he has now been included.

In his response Umar Akmal said that he only went to have dinner at a ceremony in Hyderabad after a formal permission of team management.

Two of the three T20Is will be played in Dubai (November 26 and 27), while Sharjah (November 30) will host the final match. “Meanwhile, Iftikhar Ahmed has been called back to make way for Umar Akmal”.

“REVISED SQUAD: Shahid Afridi (capt), Ahmed Shehzad, M Hafeez, Rafatullah Mohmand, Shoaib Malik, Sohaib Maqsood, Umar Akmal, M Rizwan, Sarfraz Ahmed, Anwar Ali, Bilal Asif, Imran Khan Junior, M Irfan, Sohail Tanvir, Wahab Riaz and Aamer Yamin”.