Pakistan has left talented but inconsistent batsman Umar Akmal out of the squad for the three-match Twenty20 series against England on disciplinary grounds, the chief selector said Thursday. The 25-year-old Umar was allegedly involved in an incident involving mistreatment of women while playing a first-class game in Hyderabad last week, and was issued a show cause notice requiring him to appear before selectors. Chief selector Haroon Rasheed said Umar was dropped on the instructions of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). "Umar had been penciled in for selection, but he has subsequently been dropped on instructions from the PCB, as he has been issued with a show cause notice for bringing the board and Pakistan cricket into disrepute," Rasheed was quoted as saying in a PCB release. Umar has so far played 65 Twenty20 matches for Pakistan, the most recent being in Zimbabwe on Sept. 29. He was also dropped from the one-day team following the 2015 World Cup after head coach Waqar Younis cited his lack of discipline and disobeying instructions from the captain and the coach. Umar, whose elder brothers Kamran and Adnan also played for Pakistan, was jailed for beating a traffic warden last year. Pakistan's 16-man squad also includes 39-year-old batsman Rafatullah Mohmand, 10 years after he first came into reckoning for the national team. Rasheed said Mohmand has been rewarded for his perseverance. "Having experience of playing first class cricket for many years, with his form, sound technique and fitness, and also given his fielding credentials, Mohmand has been afforded an opportunity as he was considered to have potential to feature in an international T20 competition as an opener," he said. The first Twenty20 match will be played in Dubai on Nov. 26 followed by the second, also in Dubai, the next day with the final match in Sharjah on Nov. 30. Meanwhile, Iftikhar Ahmed has been named as the 16th member of the one-day squad to fill in the slot that fell vacant following Younis Khan's retirement. Younis retired from one-day cricket Wednesday after Pakistan won the first match against England by six wickets. Twenty20 Squad: Shahid Afridi (captain), Ahmed Shehzad, Mohammad Hafeez, Rafatullah Mohmand, Shoaib Malik, Sohaib Maqsood, Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Rizwan, Sarfraz Ahmed, Anwar Ali, Imad Wasim (subject to fitness, otherwise Bilal Asif), Imran Khan Junior, Mohammad Irfan, Sohail Tanvir, Wahab Riaz and Amir Yamin. Philander out of India series Seamer Vernon Philander is to miss the remainder of South Africa's Test tour of India and will be replaced by fast bowler Kyle Abbott. Philander tore ligaments in his left ankle during practice in Bengaluru Thursday, two days ahead of the second Test, and it is an injury that puts a question mark over his participation in the opening Test against England that starts on Dec. 26. "Vernon will return to Cape Town this weekend to be assessed by one of Cricket South Africa's specialists," team manager Mohammed Moosajee said. Australia unchanged Australia will be unchanged for the second Test against New Zealand starting Friday at the WACA with seamer Peter Siddle again left out of the side, captain Steve Smith said Thursday. Siddle was dropped from the pace attack in favor of Josh Hazlewood for the opening match of the three-Test series, which the hosts won by 208 runs in Brisbane. Team: David Warner, Joe Burns, Usman Khawaja, Steve Smith (captain), Adam Voges, Mitchell Marsh, Peter Nevill (wicketkeeper), Mitchell Johnson, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Nathan Lyon.
