Haj-bound Azhar keen to play Zimbabwe ODIs

Pakistan one-day captain Azhar Ali, wicketkeeper Sarfaraz Ahmed and batsman Asad Shafiq, who will be performing Haj this year, have decided to take part in the ODI series against Zimbabwe that is set to take place immediately after the annual Muslim pilgrimage.

The national selection committee had plans to rest the three players for the 3 ODIs in Zimbabwe late <g data-gr-id="13">September</g> but now sources close to the selectors said that Azhar, Sarfaraz and Asad are keen to play the matches. Azhar, who took over as the ODI captain after this year’s World Cup, is said to have told the selectors he would be available to lead the team in Zimbabwe. “The situation now is that we will finalise the T20 and ODI squads for the tour of Zimbabwe this week but now it is the final decision of the board Chairman whether he approves the squads or not,” chief selector Haroon Rasheed said.

He admitted that the selectors were contemplating giving more exposure to the new and younger players in Zimbabwe and felt the players going to perform Haj would face a hectic travelling schedule to reach Zimbabwe for the series so they could take a rest.