Ashraf called for national camp, selectors ignore Nauman Ali

Pakistan selectors have recalled all-rounder Faheem Ashraf and off-spinner Bilal Asif to the national camp ahead of first Test against Bangladesh but ignored spinner Nauman Ali, the top wicket taker in the recent Quaid-e-Azam Trophy.

The selection panel, headed by head coach Misbah-ul-Haq named 19 players for the camp, starting Monday.

Also ingnored was uncapped Tabish Khan, who was the top pacer in the six-team competition with 25 wickets while Nauman had finished as the top wicket taker of the tournament with 54 scalps.

But Bilal who was the second-highest wicket taker in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy with 42 wickets has been invited for the camp. The first Test will be played in Rawalpindi from February 7.

Bilal, who recently also launched his first music album after being ignored by the selectors, last played for Pakistan in December 2018 against Australia and New Zealand in the UAE.

The selectors interestingly have picked only one batsman - Fawad Alam - out of the list of top ten batsmen of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy. Fawad was also in the Test squad against Sri Lanka but he did not get a chance to play in either of the two tests.

Faheem has been struggling with injury problems since being dropped for last year's World Cup and only recently made a comeback to domestic cricket taking a fiver in the Quaid Trophy final in Karachi.

Pakistan Test probables: Azhar Ali (captain), Abid Ali, Asad Shafiq, Babar Azam, Bilal Asif, Fawad Alam, Faheem Ashraf, Haris Sohail, Imam-ul-Haq, Imran Khan senior, Kashif Bhatti, Muhammad Abbas, Muhammad Rizwan, Musa Khan, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shaan Masood Yasir Shah and Usman Khan Shinwari.