Saqlain back in Pakistan squad

With Shoaib Akhtar, the most recent member of Test cricket's 100-wicket club, jetting off to Durham, Pakistan have included Saqlain Mushtaq in the 16-man squad for the third Test against Bangladesh at Multan which starts on Wednesday (September 3). Saqlain last played a Test against South Africa in January, and has been sidelined since the World Cup, where he was relegated to a minor role.

Aamer Sohail, Pakistan's chief selector, said, "Saqlain has been called up from England because Shoaib Akhtar has to rejoin Durham. We wanted to bolster our bowling resources. Saqlain is a champion bowler and his hunger for the game is renewed. We feel now is the right time to bring him back into the team."

Saqlain has 205 wickets from 47 Tests, and though Pakistan have an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series, there was little or no potency from the slow bowlers at Karachi and Peshawar. His call-up is however a bitter blow for Surrey, who are fighting a grim battle with Sussex for the county championship.

Should Saqlain be retained for the five-match one-day series that follows the Tests, he would miss all of Surrey's remaining championship matches. His chief rival in the spin-bowling stakes, Mushtaq Ahmed, has again be overlooked by the selectors, despite some stellar displays for Sussex this season.

Younis Khan, who missed the first two Tests due to family commitments also returns, and there are three uncapped players in the 16, from the academy team that toured South Africa. They are Salman Butt, an opener who scored a double-century and a century there, Asim Kamal and Yasir Ali, a fast bowler.

Misbah-ul-Haq and Saeed Bin Nasir have been dropped, while Shoaib Malik has been given time to recover from a groin injury suffered in the second Test.

Pakistan squad: Mohammad Hafeez, Taufeeq Umar, Yasir Hameed, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Yousuf Youhana, Younis Khan, Rashid Latif, Saqlain Mushtaq, Shabbir Ahmed, Umar Gul, Danish Kaneria, Farhan Adil, Salman Butt, Yasir Ali, Asim Kamal, Mohammad Khalil.