Razzaq skips home series against Bangladesh

Abdul Razzaq has joined Shoaib Akhtar in skipping the home series against Bangladesh next month, said Aamir Sohail, Pakistan's chief selector.

"Shoaib Akhtar has already been given permission by the Board to skip the Bangladesh series. And Razzaq will also not be available," said Aamir.

He also said that the two vacancies would give Pakistan a chance to try out some new cricketers. "The series against Bangladesh will give us a good opportunity to try out some young and new players in our rebuilding process," Aamir said. "We are planning to rest some senior players and try out the fringe players."

Pakistan, however, will field its strongest squad in the home series against South Africa, which starts in September.

The series, beginning on August 20, consists of three Tests and five one-day internationals.