Shadab Khan has returned to Pakistan’s T20I squad, while uncapped batter and part-time wicketkeeper Khawaja Nafay has earned a first call-up for the three-match T20I series in Sri Lanka in January. 

Salman Agha will continue to lead the side as it takes part in its last set of games in the run up to the next year’s T20 World Cup, to be played in February-March in India and Sri Lanka.

Prior to his appearance for Sydney Thunder in the ongoing BBL in Australia, Shadab was last in action in June this year, when he played in the T20I series at home against Bangladesh. 

Pakistan won that series 3-0 with Shadab picking up four wickets and scoring 55 runs. He subsequently underwent surgery to address a recurring issue in his right shoulder and returned to competitive cricket on 16 December, at the BBL, after a period of rehabilitation.

None of the other Pakistan players playing in the BBL – Shaheen Shah Afridi, Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, Haris Rauf and Hasan Ali – have been named in the squad.

Nafay, 23, was in action in the Abu Dhabi T10 recently, and has been part of it. The 23-year-old right-hand batter has recently been part of the Pakistan Shaheens squad. Nafay has featured in 32 T20 matches, scoring 688 runs at a strike rate of 132.81. 

Pakistan squad for T20I series vs. Sri Lanka

Salman Agha (capt.), Abdul Samad, Abrar Ahmad, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Khawaja Nafay (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Salman Mirza, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan (wk), Saim Ayub, Shadab Khan, Usman Khan (wk), Usman Tariq

Sri Lanka vs. Pakistan T20I series matches

7 January – 1st T20I

9 January – 2nd T20I

11 January – 3rd T20I

All matches to be played in Dambulla

(Espncricinfo)