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Pak call up Shafiq, Irfan to replace trio
Pakistan have called up Asad Shafiq and Mohammad Irfan as replacements for the suspended Salman Butt, Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif for the one-day series in England.
"Both the players are currently playing with the Pakistan A team in Sri Lanka and will now join the senior team by next week," a Pakistan Cricket Board official said on Friday.
Tall left-arm pacer Irfan has yet to play for the senior team while batsman Shafiq made his one-day international debut in the Asia Cup in Sri Lanka in June.
Pakistan test captain Butt and opening bowlers Amir and Asif face possible life bans after they were charged on Thursday under the International Cricket Council's (ICC) anti-corruption code.
British police confiscated the three players' mobile phones following allegations of corruption in a British newspaper. They were accused of taking bribes to fix incidents in the fourth test against England which finished at Lord's last Sunday.
Pakistan one-day captain Shahid Afridi said the team had been shaken since the betting allegations first surfaced.
"It has been a difficult time for all of us and there is a concerted effort to not discuss this issue during our training sessions or even in the dressing room and now just focus on doing well in the one-day series," he told the Geo Super channel.
"It is never easy to find replacements for proven performers but we have good back up talent and I am optimistic we can still do well in the one-day series."
Pakistan face England in the first of two Twenty20 internationals in Cardiff on Sunday. The teams also play five one-dayers.
