Pakistan selectors have recalled prolific batsman Inzamam-ul-Haq to their squad for this month's Test series against Bangladesh.
The 33-year-old is included in a squad of 20 "probables" announced for the three Test matches after being ignored for three one-day tournaments since the World Cup.
Pakistan's premier batmen, Inzamam has scored and 6,214 runs in 85 tests and 8,957 runs in 290 one-day internationals, but was left out after a harrowing time at the World Cup when he managed just 19 runs in six innings.
"We had never dropped Inzi after the World Cup. We were just giving him a break from the game so that he could get over his fatigue and come back stronger," chief selector Aamer Sohail told Reuters.
"He should bring stability to the Pakistan middle order given his experience and class."
Inzamam, who scored 329 runs against New Zealand in a Test against New Zealand at Lahore last year, was delighted to be recalled.
"It is a big relief to be back in the Pakistan squad. Hopefully I will get over the World Cup nightmare in the coming series," he told Reuters from Lahore.
The burly right-hander said he was hoping to continue playing for Pakistan for another two to three years.
"I don't think 10,000 runs in tests and one-day internationals is an impossible task," he added.
Fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar will also be available for the Bangladesh series after being released by his county Durham on a special request from the Pakistan Cricket Board.
"We have named 20 players for now. But for the rest of the season there will be changes and more players would be considered," Sohail said.
NOT CONSIDERED
Off-spinner Saqlain Mushtaq was not considered for the series at his own request, although his English county Surrey had agreed to release him, Sohail said.
"Saqlain said he would come if absolutely necessary but we told him we could manage without him," he added.
Pakistan had asked Saqlain and Shoaib Akhtar to make themselves available after a ankle injury to fast bowler Muhammad Sami ruled him out of the series.
The squad will go into a training camp at Lahore from August 9 to 16, before the start of the first of the three tests on August 20 in Karachi.
Squad - Muhammad Hafeez, Taufiq Umar, Yasir Hameed, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Yousaf Youhana, Misbahul Haq, Farhan Adil, Hasan Reza, Rashid Latif (captain), Shoaib Malik, Abdul Razzaq, Umer Gul, Shoaib Akhtar, Shabbir Ahmed, Muhammad Khalil, Najaf Shah, Danish Kaneria, Abdul Sattar, Kamran Akmal, Jaffer Nazir.
