Pakistan's Asif recalled for Sri Lanka series

KARACHI, May 7 (Reuters) Pakistani pace bowler Mohammad Asif has been recalled to the squad and appointed vice captain for this month's one-day series against Sri Lanka in Abu Dhabi.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said Asif, who missed the World Cup due to an elbow injury, would hold the position only for the three-match series from May 18-22.

''The vice-captain will be appointed on a series to series basis.

This is part of our policy to groom young players for the future,'' PCB Chairman Nasim Ashraf today said.

Asif, 24, and fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar tested positive for nandrolone last October but a Pakistan Cricket Board appeals panel cleared them of doping a offence and overturned their bans.

The squad also includes two uncapped players, 21-year-old all rounder Fawad Alam and left-arm bowler Najaf Shah, 22.

''It is the best possible side we could pick after the World Cup with Inzamam retired and Younis Khan also not available due to his county commitments,'' chief selector Salahuddin Ahmed said.

He added that as part of a rotation policy the selectors would be giving chances to more players to build a strong one-day team.

The Sri Lanka series will be Shoaib Malik's first as captain after he replaced senior batsman, Inzamam-ul-Haq, who stepped down as skipper and retired from one-day internationals during the World Cup.

Under Inzamam, Pakistan were eliminated in the first round of the World Cup after losing to hosts West Indies and Ireland.

Pakistan squad: Shoaib Malik (captain), Imran Nazir, Salman Butt, Mohammad Hafeez, Mohammad Yousuf, Yasir Hameed, Kamran Akmal, Shahid Afridi, Abdul Razzaq, Fawad Alam, Abdul Rehman,Mohammad Asif, Umar Gul, Rao Iftikhar, Mohammad Sami, Najaf Shah.

REUTERS AKD RAI2039