Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar and batsman Younis Khan have been recalled in a 15-man squad for next month's one-dayers against India and Scotland.
Akhtar was dropped for the World Cup because of injury problems that have allowed him to play only four one-dayers and one Test since the Karachi Test against India in February, 2006.
“Shoaib has bowled with fire and showed his fitness in the training camp. It is a good omen for Pakistan cricket that he is back,” chief selector Salahuddin Ahmed said on Saturday.
Pakistan face hosts Scotland on July 1 in Edinburgh followed by India in Glasgow two days later.
Younis declined to take the Pakistan captaincy after the World Cup, which saw Inzamam-ul-Haq step down as skipper and retire from one-day internationals after his team were eliminated in the first round of the tournament.
Younis had cited personal problems and a desire to get his form back for refusing the captaincy and he played English county cricket for Yorkshire instead of featuring in a one-day series against Sri Lanka in April in Abu Dhabi.
Troubled times
Akhtar, 32, has had a troubled time since last year, first undergoing a knee operation and than testing positive for a banned substance in tests carried out by the Pakistan Cricket Board before the Champions Trophy in India held in October.
He went to South Africa with Pakistan early this year and bowled in the first innings of the second Test in Port Elizabeth before breaking down with a hamstring injury.
Squad: Shoaib Malik (captain), Imran Nazir, Salman Butt, Younis Khan, Yasir Hameed, Mohammad Yousuf, Kamran Akmal, Fawad Alam, Shahid Afridi, Abdul Razzaq, Umar Gul, Shoaib Akhtar, Rao Iftikhar, Mohammad Asif, Mohammad Sami.