NOTTINGHAM: Pakistan responded to their crushing 354 run first Test defeat by England at Trent Bridge on Sunday by recalling former captain Mohammad Yousuf and so ending the batsman`s international exile.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) also announced leg-spinner Danish Kaneria had been released back to English county side Essex ahead of the second Test at Edgbaston, which starts on Friday.
A brief statement issued by the PCB in Lahore said: "Danish Kaneria is released from the national team and he is now available to play for his county Essex. His services will be available for national squad if required.
"Mohammad Yousuf and Raza Hasan (a left-arm spinner) are added to the national squad with immediate effect."
Kaneria was dropped after a hugely expensive match return of one wicket for 171 runs at Trent Bridge.
Yousuf, a batsman of proven Test-class, announced his retirement from international cricket in March, having been handed an indefinite ban by the PCB following Pakistan`s disastrous tour of Australia where the team failed to win a single international match.
His recall came just hours after Pakistan were bowled out for 80 - their lowest ever Test total against England - at Trent Bridge.
Yousuf effectively took the spot of the previously unreplaced Shahid Afridi, who announced his intention to quit Test cricket after captaining Pakistan to a 150-run loss against Australia at Lord`s last month and was then ruled out of the team`s remaining Tests on their tour of England with a side strain.
There had been speculation that batsman Younus Khan, also a former Pakistan captain, might be added to the squad as well.
But although he has been playing for English county side Surrey this season, he was not handed a call-up on Sunday.
Yousuf, 35, has scored 7,431 Test runs, including 22 hundreds, at an average of 53.07 in 88 matches with a highest score of 223 against England at Lahore in 2005.
And in 2006 he broke West Indies great Vivian Richards`s 30-year-old record for most Test runs in a calendar year with 1,788 in 11 matches, including nine hundreds, at a staggering average of 99.33.
BDST: 2210 HRS, AUGUST 01, 2010
