Cricket World Cup: Pakistan call up Asif Ali, Mohammad Amir and Wahab Riaz to final squad
- Published
Amir was man of the match when Pakistan beat India in the 2017 Champions Trophy final
Pakistan have called up Asif Ali, Mohammad Amir and Wahab Riaz to their final 15-man World Cup squad.
The trio were not in the provisional squad but have replaced Abid Ali, Faheem Ashraf and Junaid Khan after a 4-0 one-day series defeat by England.
"The lack of potency of our frontline bowlers against England meant that a change was needed," said Pakistan chairman of selectors Inzamam-ul-Haq.
"We now know we will encounter batting wickets in the World Cup."
Pakistan will play two warm-up games, against Afghanistan (24 May) and Bangladesh (26 May), before starting their World Cup campaign against the West Indies on 31 May.
Batsman Asif Ali has been included following the news that his young daughter died from cancer in a United States hospital on Sunday.
"We are with Asif in this tough time," added Inzamam. "He will return to Pakistan and then go back [to England] before the warm-up matches."
Pace bowler Amir, who missed both the 2011 and 2015 World Cups because of a five-year ban for match fixing,, external only played the first of the five ODIs against England in a game that was called off because of rain.
Fellow bowler Riaz has not played an ODI for Pakistan since the Champions Trophy in England in June 2017, which his side won.
"The bowling unit during the England ODIs has not clicked as anticipated or expected," said Inzamam.
"If we have at our disposal the vastly experienced pace duo of Amir and Wahab, then it will be foolish not to include them."
England open the World Cup against South Africa at The Oval on 30 May.
Pakistan squad: Sarfaraz Ahmed (capt & wk), Asif Ali, Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Sohail, Hasan Ali, Imad Wasim, Imam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Hafeez, Mohammad Hasnain, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Afridi, Shoaib Malik, Wahab Riaz.