Pakistan cricket selectors have dropped out-of-form opener Mohammad Hafeez from a 12-man squad named to play a Test series against South Africa in the UAE this month.
According to The Daily Times, the 32-year-old Hafeez, Pakistan's Twenty20 captain was expected to miss out, given his poor form in Test cricket this year, the report said.
He has aggregated 102 runs in 10 Test innings this year, and was particularly exposed against the moving ball by Dale Steyn on Pakistan's tour to South Africa in February, the report said.
Pacer Wahab Riaz also misses out from the squad that played the Zimbabwe Tests, the report added.
Paceman Mohammad Irfan, at 7ft 1in the tallest cricketer to play at international level, earned a Test recall despite an unimpressive two-match stint in South Africa earlier this year when he took just one wicket, the report further said.
The Pakistan selection committee, which is without a chief selector, left out batsmen Asad Shafiq, Umar Akmal, Ahmad Shahzad and Shan Masood, but they still have a chance of making the larger squad, which so far only has one opener in Khurram Manzoor, according to the report.
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Pakistan looked set to ploy a spin-dominated attack against South Africa with the inclusion of 34-year-old left-armer Zulfiqar Babar, Saeed Ajmal and Abdul Rehman. Umar Amin, 24, was also recalled after failing to impress in four Tests in 2010, the report mentioned.
Squad:
Misbahul Haq (capt), Khurram Manzoor, Azhar Ali, Younis Khan, Umar Amin, Adnan Akmal, Saeed Ajmal, Zulfiqar Babar, Abdul Rehman, Junaid Khan, Mohammad Irfan and Rahat Ali.