Pakistan 17 member squad England tour

LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is expected to name a 17-member squad for upcoming series against England, Geo News quoting sources reported on Saturday.According to sources, the squad would have three openers, five middle-order batsmen, two wicketkeepers, five fast bowlers and two spinners.Sami Aslam, Khurram Manzoor and Mohammad Hafeez are top contenders for the openers’ slot, whereas middle-order lineup would comprise captain Misbah-ul-Haq, Younis Khan, Azhar Ali, Asad Shafiq and Iftikhar Ahmed.Spin duo of Zulfikar Babar and Yasir Shah, both of whom have played a key role in Pakistan’s major Test victories in the United Arab Emirates, were most favoured to fill in the two slots reserved for spinners.In the fast bowling department, sources said that captain Misbah wanted to take Ehsan Adil on board for the series, other than Mohamamd Amir, Wahab Riaz, Rahat Ali and Imran Khan Jr.As for two wicketkeepers, the selectors have put their faith in Sarfraz Ahmed and Mohammad Rizwan, sources said.Pakistan will start their England tour with the first Test scheduled on July 14, which will be followed by three more Tests, five ODIs and a T20.