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Pakistan have recalled under-scrutiny paceman Wahab Riaz for their Test series against No.1 ranked England amid an ongoing spot-fixing scandal.
Pakistan recalled Wahab Riaz for their Test series against No.1 ranked England despite the paceman being implicated in an ongoing spot-fixing scandal.
The 26-year-old Riaz was not included in any of the three Tests against Sri Lanka in October and was excluded from the one-day series against the same opponents before being omitted for this month's tour of Bangladesh.
However, he has been selected to return against England in the series in United Arab Emirates starting on January 17.
Chief selector Mohammad Ilyas said Riaz had had been cleared by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and had performed well in the recently concluded first class season.
"We have selected all those players who were cleared by the PCB and Riaz is one of them," Ilyas told a press conference. "Riaz has done well and that's why he is in the team."
Left-armed paceman Riaz's name reappeared in the spot fixing trial which ended in jail terms for Salman Butt, Mohammad Aamer and Mohammad Asif in Britain last month.
Pakistani media reported Riaz was once again under scrutiny. Riaz was initially not charged by Scotland Yard in the scandal during Pakistan's tour of England in 2010.
Riaz was interrogated by Scotland Yard in September last year but was allowed to play without being banned by the International Cricket Council.
Pakistan and England start the three Test series in Dubai from January 17. The second Test will be played in Abu Dhabi while the third will again be played in Dubai.
Middle order batsman Umar Akmal also returns to the squad after being left out for the two Tests against Bangladesh earlier this month.
But his elder brother Kamran Akmal and leg-spinner Danish Kaneria were not selected after failing to get clearance from the PCB integrity committee as both are under suspicions of fixing.
Ilyas said the best possible team was selected.
"We have chosen the best possible team and cricket is a funny game so if we play to our potential then we can beat England," said Ilyas of their opponent who became the world's top Test team by beating India 4-0 in August last year.
Also brought back into the squad is left-arm paceman Junaid Khan who injured his abdominal muscle in the one-day series against Sri Lanka and missed the Bangladesh tour.
Former captain Shoaib Malik was also left out after being part of squads against Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.
Pakistan squad: Misbah-ul Haq (captain), Mohammad Hafeez, Imran Farhat, Taufiq Umar, Azhar Ali, Younis Khan, Asad Shafiq, Umar Akmal, Adnan Akmal, Umar Gul, Junaid Khan, Aizaz Cheema, Wahab Riaz, Mohammad Talha, Saeed Ajmal and Abdul Rehman