Pakistan paceman Irfan ruled out of South Africa tour

Pakistan fast bowler Mohammad Irfan has been rested from the team's short limited-overs tour to South Africa this month to prevent the risk of aggravating a hip injury, the country's cricket board said on Saturday.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said Irfan would stay back in the United Arab Emirates for further treatment while the 17-man squad flew to South Africa to play two Twenty20 matches and three one-day internationals.

Misbah-ul-Haq, who was heavily criticised after Pakistan lost a test in Zimbabwe in September and were thumped 4-1 by South Africa in a recent one-day series, will continue to lead the ODI team while Mohammad Hafeez will captain the T20 side.

Paceman Wahab Riaz and wicketkeeper Sarfaraz Ahmed have been dropped from the side that lost the 50-overs series to South Africa while the selectors included 22-year-old all rounder Bilawal Bhatti.

Squad: Ahmed Shahzad, Nasir Jamshed, Umar Akmal, Mohammad Hafeez (T20 captain), Misbah-ul-Haq (ODI captain), Umar Amin, Sohaib Maqsood, Shoaib Malik, Shahid Afridi, Abdul Razzaq, Sohail Tanvir, Junaid Khan, Anwar Ali, Bilawal Bhatti, Abdul Rehman, Asad Shafiq, Saeed Ajmal.

Image: Mohammad Irfan

Photograph: Richard Heathcote/Getty Images