Pakistan recall pace-bowler Sohail Khan for England tour

PCB name 29-man squad for the three Test and three T20 tour that also includes uncapped batsman Haider

Pakistan's Sohail Khan last played Test cricket in the Boxing Day match against Australia in Melbourne in 2016. AFP

Pakistan recalled pace-bowler Sohail Khan and included uncapped batsman Haider Ali in their 29-member squad for the upcoming tour of England.

The team is scheduled to play three Tests and as many Twenty20 Internationals in August-September in a bio-secure environment due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Sending a combined squad was in accordance with the standard operating procedure for the series, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said in a statement.

The selectors have also put Bilal Asif, Imran Butt, Musa Khan and Mohammad Nawaz on standby to cover for any player who fails pre-tour Covid-19 testing scheduled later this month.

"The series against England will be challenging as our players have not played any competitive cricket since March, while the home team will come following a series against the West Indies," head coach and chief selector Misbah-ul-Haq said.

Sohail, 36, has not played Test cricket since the 2016 Boxing Day match in Melbourne but has been rewarded for his strong form in domestic cricket.

"Sohail Khan has been recalled to further strengthen our fast bowling department," Misbah said. "The selectors also felt he bowled much better in the 2019-20 domestic season than his figures reflected."

Haider has also been in impressive form in domestic and under-19 cricket to claim an emerging players' contract for the 2020-21 season.

Fast bowler Mohammad Amir and batsman Haris Sohail pulled out of the tour on Thursday citing personal reasons.

Pakistan will play Tests in Manchester (August 5-9) and Southampton (August 13-17 and 21-25). The three Twenty20 internationals will all be played in Southampton on August 28, 30 and September 1.