(REUTERS) – The Pakistan Cricket Board has retained Misbah-ul-Haq as captain for this month’s Asia Cup while Shoaib Malik, Imran Farhat and Adnan Akmal did not make the 15-man squad for the tournament. Pakistan’s defeats in the One-Day International and Twenty20 series to England prompted calls for a change in team management and captaincy, but the PCB opted to retain Misbah for the Asia Cup, which also features Sri Lanka, India and hosts Bangladesh.
Chief selector Iqbal Qasim said opener Nasir Jamshed and wicketkeeper Sarfaraz Ahmed had been recalled for the tournament.
“We feel that since Nasir has done well in domestic cricket and in the recent Bangladesh Premier League he deserves a chance to play for the national team,” Qasim said.
The PCB was also expected to announce the appointment of Australian Dav Whatmore as head coach later yesterday. Mohsin Khan has been acting as interim coach for the England series.
Squad: Misbah-ul-Haq (capt.), Mohammad Hafeez, Nasir Jamshed, Younis Khan, Umar Akmal, Azhar Ali, Asad Shafiq, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Shahid Afridi, Hammad Azam, Saeed Ajmal, Abdul Rehman, Umar Gul, Wahab Riaz, Aizaz Cheema.