Hafeez, Malik handed surprise recalls for Bangladesh T20Is

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Web Desk
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Veteran all-rounders Shoaib Malik and Mohammad Hafeez were on Thursday handed re-calls for the upcoming T20I series against Bangladesh.

The experienced duo were the surprise inclusions as chief selector Misbah-ul-Haq made the squad announcement in Lahore today.

Malik and Hafeez had been missing from all of Pakistan's post-World Cup squads due to their form (or lack thereof) in the big tournament. 

However, the team's whitewash at the hands of Sri Lanka late last year has forced selectors to opt back for experience.

Meanwhile, Lahore Qalandars and Melbourne Stars pacer Haris Rauf was also rewarded for his rich vein of form in the Big Bash League.

Legspinner Usman Qadir, who was picked for the tour of Australia but did not get a match Down Under, has been retained. Khushdil Shah, who also toured Australia, has also made the cut.

Ammad Butt and Ahsan Ali have also been added to the squad.

As expected, Asif Ali, Mohammad Irfan and Haris Sohail have paid the price for their lacklustre displays.

Also among the missing were Fakhar Zaman and Imam-ul-Haq as well as experienced southpaw pacers Mohammad Amir and Wahab Riaz.

Full squad: 

Babar Azam, Ahsan Ali, Ammad Butt, Haris Rauf, Ifthikar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Hafeez, Mohammad Hasnain, Muhammad Musa Khan, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Rizwan, Shaheen Afridi, Shoaib Malik, Usman Qadir