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Pakistan has called batsman Asad Shafiq and fast bowler Mohammad Irfan to replace the suspended Test skipper Salman Butt, fast bowlers Mohammad Amir, and Mohammad Asif. Pakistan had dropped Butt, Asif and Aamir from the Twenty20 and one-day series against England under pressure from the ICC and the England Cricket Board. The Pakistan cricket team is in the midst of a betting scam, where fast bowlers Aamir and Asif are alleged to have bowled pre-arranged no-balls in the Lord's Test against England. "The PCB chairman (Ijaz Butt) approved the names of the two players on the request of the team management and selection committee," a PCB statement said on Friday. "Both the players are currently playing with the Pakistan A team in Sri Lanka and will now join the senior team by next week," the Dawn quoted a Pakistan Cricket Board official, as saying. 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. Butt, Amir and Asif could face possible life bans after they were charged on Thursday under the International Cricket Council's (ICC) anti-corruption code.

Shafiq, Irfan to replace 'tainted' trio in Pak ODI squad