Former skipper Sarfaraz Ahmed made a surprise return in three changes to Pakistan’s T20 World Cup squad.

The 34-year-old was not in the 15-man squad announced last month but all 16 teams competing in the event had 10 October as the deadline to make any changes.

The World Cup starts in Oman and the UAE on 17 October.

Pakistan’s chief selector Mohammad Wasim said changes were made after taking into account performances in the ongoing National Twenty20 tournament.

“After reviewing player performances and in consultation with the team management, we have decided to include Haider Ali, Fakhar Zaman and Sarfaraz in the squad for the T20 World Cup 2021,” Wasim said in a PCB release.

Haider, dropped from the initial squad after violating a bio-secure bubble in the Pakistan Super League in the UAE in June, has amassed 315 runs in eight games with three fifties in the national event.

Wasim said top-order batsman Sohaib Maqsood is included in the squad subject to fitness and medical advice after he suffered a lower back disc problem.

The three players who were in the original squad and are now left out are batsman Khushdil Shah, deputy wicketkeeper Azam Khan and pacer Mohammad Hasnain.

Pakistan is in Group 2 of the Super 12 stage of the World Cup and play their opening match against arch-rivals India in Dubai on 24 October.

Pakistan squad: Babar Azam (captain), Shadab Khan, Asif Ali, Fakhar Zaman, Haider Ali, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Hafeez, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Wasim Junior, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sohaib Maqsood. Travelling reserves: Khushdil Shah, Shahnawaz Dahani, Usman Qadir

© Agence France-Presse