ISLAMABAD — Umar Akmal will continue to be Pakistan's wicketkeeper in this month's Twenty20s and One-Day Internationals against Zimbabwe, while long-overlooked opening batsman Khurram Manzoor has been recalled for the Test matches, the Pakistan Cricket Board announced Tuesday. Harare Sports Club will host back-to-back Twenty20s on Aug 23 and 24 before the teams compete in three ODIs and also the first Test at the same venue, the PCB said in a statement. The second Test will be played at Bulawayo from Sept. 10. Last month, Akmal impressed selectors in his new role as wicketkeeper/batsman during Pakistan's victory in both one-day and Twenty20 series against the West Indies. Manzoor has played seven Test matches, but his last Test was against Australia three years ago. Except for uncapped middle order batsman Sohaib Maqsood there are no surprises in the three teams. Ace off-spinner Saeed Ajmal, fast bowler Junaid Khan and Twenty20 captain Mohammad Hafeez made it to all three formats. Squads: Twenty20: Mohammad Hafeez (captain), Nasir Jamshed, Ahmed Shehzad, Umar Amin, Umar Akmal, Sohaib Maqsood, Shahid Afridi, Saeed Ajmal, Sohail Tanvir, Mohammad Irfan, Junaid Khan, Zulfiqar Babar, Asad Ali, Anwar Ali, Haris Sohail One-day: Misbahul Haq (captain), Nasir Jamshed, Ahmed Shehzad, Mohammad Hafeez, Asad Shafiq, Umar Akmal, Umar Amin, Haris Sohail, Shahid Afridi, Saeed Ajmal, Mohammad Irfan, Junaid Khan, Asad Ali, Anwar Ali, Abdur Rehman Test: Misbahul Haq (captain), Mohammad Hafeez, Khurram Manzoor, Imran Farhat, Asad Shafiq, Younis Khan, Azhar Ali, Faisal Iqbal, Adnan Akmal, Junaid Khan, Wahab Riaz, Ehsan Adil, Rahat Ali, Saeed Ajmal, Abdur Rehman. Pakistan to play Afghanistan Pakistan Monday announced it will play Afghanistan in a Twenty20 International later this year to help the development of cricket in the war-ravaged nation. The two sides will meet on Dec. 8 in Sharjah, a Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) spokesman said. The match is part of an agreement between the two countries in March under which the PCB will help Afghanistan improve its cricket infrastructure and team standard. — Agencies
