Pakistan cricket team officials have revealed that paceman Umar Gul and veteran batsman Younis Khan have been recalled to the team's squads for next month's Twenty20 and ODI series against New Zealand in the United Arab Emirates.
The 30-year-old Gul had his career derailed by a knee operation last year and he failed to impress on his return early this year. Pakistan's chief selector Moin Khan said that Gul and Riaz's return would bolster the squad for the two T20 matches in Dubai on December 4 and 5.
The T20 would be followed by five ODIs. Khan said in a Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) release that Gul and Riaz are making comebacks from injury to make the pace attack more potent and he hopes that the squad would do well considering next year's World Cup, Sport24 reported.
Also returning to the one-day team is 37-year-old Younis who amassed 468 runs in the 2-0 win over Australia last month. That came on the back of his controversial axing from the three-match ODI series against Australia in which Pakistan were white washed last month.
Another paceman Wahab Riaz is also in both the squads after suffering a knee injury in the ODI series against Australia while opener Ahmed Shehzad returns after suffering a head injury in the first Test against New Zealand.
The Pakistan T20 squad is: Shahid Afridi (captain), Ahmed Shehzad, Anwar Ali, Mohammad Hafeez, Haris Sohail, Mohammad Irfan, Owais Zia, Raza Hasan, Saad Nasim, Sarfraz Ahmed, Sohail Tanvir, Umar Akmal, Umar Gul, Wahab Riaz
The Pakistan ODI squad is: Misbah-ul Haq (captain), Mohammad Hafeez, Ahmed Shehzad, Asad Shafiq, Bilawal Bhatti, Haris Sohail, Mohammad Irfan, Nasir Jamshed, Sarfraz Ahmed, Shahid Afridi, Sohail Tanvir, Umar Akmal, Umar Gul, Wahab Riaz, Younis Khan, Zulfiqar Babar.
