Mahmood gets Pakistan chance

Azhar Mahmood has been a great success with Surrey

Azhar Mahmood has earned a surprise recall to the Pakistan squad for the one-day series in South Africa, two years after he last turned out for his country.

The all-rounder has been drafted in ahead of the second one-dayer in Durban on Wednesday, even though he failed to make it into Pakistan's provisional 30-man World Cup squad.

Mahmood's selection came about following an injury to Shabbir Ahmed, who has been forced to return home joining fellow-casualties Shoaib Akhtar and Umar Gul on the sidelines.

Shabbir, who himself recently made an international comeback after serving a 12-month ban for a suspect bowling action, hurt his groin in the 10-wicket Twenty20 International defeat to the Proteas last Friday.

Paceman Rao Iftikhar Anjum, who was included in the World Cup squad, was favourite to get the nod ahead of Mahmood but again misses out.

Last week Imran Nazir also made a shock return to the national set-up after two and a half years out in the cold.

Mahmood played the last of his 139 ODIs against Australia in the 2004-05 VB series final.