Talha in, Wahab Riaz out from Pak squad

LAHORE - The selection committee headed by M Illyas made only one change in the Test squad that recently played against Sri Lanka in the UAE with young pacer M Talha replacing Wahab Riaz for the tour starting from November 26. The 26-year-old did not play in the three Test series which Pakistan won 1-0 against Sri Lanka last month before being dropped from the one-day squad. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) selection committee announced a 16-man squad for one Twenty20, three one-day internationals and two Tests. Misbah-ul-Haq was retained as captain for the full series after he led Pakistan to a Test and ODI series win over Sri Lanka in the UAE. The team will leave for Dhaka from Abu Dhabi after playing one-off Twenty20 in Abu Dhabi The selectors also not considered wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal for the series. Pakistan Cricket Board on the guidelines of new chief adopted policy to rebuild Pakistani cricket image in the world, would not consider those players who were suspicious of any kind of fixing allegations. During the trial, an undercover reporter told the jury that Pakistani player agent Mazhar Majeed had told him he had several cricketers working for him and mentioned the names of Wahab and discarded wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal. "Reportedly after their names were mentioned during the spot-fixing trial in London of Salman Butt, M Asif and M Aamir, it has been decided to keep them on the sidelines until the matter is sorted out with the ICC," the source said. Riaz was a member of the Pakistan Test squad that played against Sri Lanka in the UAE last month but was subsequently dropped for the ODI series against the Lankans. Chief selector Illyas said Wahab had been dropped for the tour after consultations between the selectors and team management. We have picked the best possible team, Illyas told a news conference in Lahore on Monday. Wahab was part of the team that played a Test series against Sri Lanka in the United Arab Emirates last month but was then dropped for the one-day series and sent home soon after his name was mentioned in the trial. Fast bowler Talha will replace Wahab Riaz for Bangladesh tour. The selectors have retained the same one-day squad participating in the on-going series against Sri Lanka in the Gulf. Bangladesh is always a formidable side at home and we didnt want to take risks. As it is the team is on a winning momentum and we want that to continue, Illyas added. Pakistan open the tour with the only Twenty20 in Dhaka on November 29. All members of Pakistan's one-day squad currently playing against Sri Lanka in the United Arab Emirates have retained their places. This scribe in Mondays issue has already reported that Wahab Riaz and Kamran Akmal selection would be uncertain as their names came into the limelight during the spot-fixing trial held in London in which Pakistani players Salman Butt, M Asif and M Aamir were handed jail terms by a court for their involvement in corruption and cheating during last year's Lord's Test. Test squad: Misbah-ul-Haq (captain), M Hafeez, Imran Farhat, Taufiq Umar, Azhar Ali, Younus Khan, Asad Shafiq, Shoaib Malik, Adnan Akmal, Junaid Khan, Aizaz Cheema, M Talha, Saeed Ajmal, Abdul Rehman, Umar Gul. ODI and T20 squad: Misbah-ul-Haq (capt), M Hafeez, Imran Farhat, Umar Akmal,, Abdul Razzaq, Shahid Afridi, YounUs Khan, Asad Shafiq, Shoaib Malik, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Junaid Khan, Aizaz Cheema, Sohail Tanvir, Saeed Ajmal, Abdul Rehman, Umar Gul.

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