KARACHI — Pakistan cricket selectors Tuesday rewarded a 19-year-old rookie bowler from the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with a place in the Twenty20 squad. Usman Khan Shinwari was added to the squad for the two-match series against Sri Lanka starting in Dubai Wednesday after the left-arm paceman impressed in domestic matches. The Pakistan Cricket Board said Shinwari would join the team in time for the first match. Shinwari bowled his domestic team Agriculture Development Bank to the National Twenty20 title on Dec. 3 with a burst of 5-9 in a devastating four-over spell. His wickets included the second-ball dismissal of Pakistan one-day and Test captain Misbahul Haq, who was playing for champion Sui Northern Gas. Misbah praised the youngster earlier this week and hinted he would make the national team. Pakistan has a history of introducing fast bowlers at an early age, with Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis and Aaqib Javed all debuting in their teens. Shinwari may also get the selectors' nod for the five-match one-day series against Sri Lanka which follows the two Twenty20 matches. Paceman Mohammad Irfan has been ruled out due to injury, while another quick, Umar Gul, has not fully recovered from a knee operation. Pakistan will also play three Tests against Sri Lanka. Pakistan and Sri Lanka will use their two-match series in Dubai to size each other up ahead of the World Twenty20 in three months' time. Pakistan, fourth in the Twenty20 rankings, is also aiming to topple Sri Lanka from the top of the standings by winning both matches, the second of which takes place Friday. “Sri Lanka is a top side so this is in itself a motivation to beat the No. 1 side and if we win both it will lift us to the top of the world,” Pakistan T20 team captain Mohammad Hafeez said. If the series is a 1-1 draw the teams will maintain their current rankings while a 2-0 loss would push Hafeez's team down to fifth. Pakistan goes into the matches well prepared after playing four Twenty20 games against South Africa last month. It also overcame tough resistance from minnow Afghanistan by six wickets in a last ball thriller in Sharjah Sunday — the first Twenty20 between the two countries. Pakistan will be at full strength and boosted by the return of magician off-spinner Saeed Ajmal, who skipped Sunday's game to rest back home. “We leaked quite a few runs against Afghanistan so we will have to be at our best to beat Sri Lanka and Ajmal's return will help that,” said Hafeez, who was man of the match against Afghanistan for his 42 not out. Sri Lanka, led by Dinesh Chandimal, will have to overcome rustiness after most of their recent matches at home were ruined by rain. Last month it beat New Zealand 1-0 with the other match abandoned because of inclement weather. Sri Lanka is hoping its batting will see it through with the experienced Tillakaratne Dilshan and Kumar Sangakkara providing a contrast to Pakistan's fragile and unpredictable batsmen. Pakistan finished runner-up in the first World Twenty20 held in South Africa in 2007 before winning the title in England two years later. Pakistan defeated Sri Lanka in the final at Lord's — a defeat which Sri Lanka avenged by winning the semifinal in Colombo on its way to finishing runner-up in the fourth edition last year. The fifth edition will be held in Bangladesh from March 16 to April 6. — Agencies
