Karachi, Jan 7 (IANS): Pakistan included fast bowler Sohail Khan and Mohammad Hafeez as specialist opening batsmen but left out senior players Shoaib Malik and Kamran Akmal in the 15-man cricket World Cup squad named Wednesday.

The 30-year-old Sohail Khan wasn't included in the 30-man preliminary squad, but was picked for his strong performances in domestic cricket this season after spending three years away from the national team.

Sohail last played for Pakistan in 2011 and has appeared in just two Tests and five One-Day Internationals.

He was picked only as a batsman after he failed his unofficial test to rectify his bowling action in a bio-mechanics scrutiny in Chennai recently. His bowling action was declared illegal by the International Cricket Council (ICC) in December, last year.

The team will be led by Misbah-ul-Haq who has recovered from a hamstring injury he sustained last month while playing against New Zealand.

The team, selected after discussions with Misbah and coach Waqar Younis, has seven batsmen, five fast bowlers, two spinners, and wicketkeeper Sarfraz Ahmed.

“This is the best possible squad from the available resources, and the selectors believe it has the requisite talent and skill-set to recapture the World Cup Down Under after 22 years,” Moin Khan, Pakistan Cricket Board's (PCB) chief selector, said in a statement Wednesday.

Pakistan squad: Mohammad Hafeez, Ahmed Shehzad, Younis Khan, Misbah-ul-Haq (captain), Harris Sohail, Umar Akmal, Sohaib Maqsood, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Shahid Afridi, Junaid Khan, Mohammad Irfan, Sohail Khan, Wahab Riaz, Ehsan Adil, Yasir Shah.