Wicket-keeper batsman Kamran Akmal and former captain Shoaib Malik have been named in Pakistan’s preliminary 30-man squad for the World Twenty20 to be held in Bangladesh.

Malik led Pakistan to runners-up spot in the inaugural World Twenty20 in South Africa in 2007 and was part of Pakistan’s Twenty20 squad to South Africa last year but was sent back home after suffering a finger injury.

Kamran had not been selected since being omitted from the one-day squad which lost all three matches in the Champions Trophy in England in June last year.

Allrounder Abdul Razzaq failed to find a place in the initial squad after being sent home from the South Africa tour due to hamstring injury last year.

The fifth edition of the World Twenty20 will be held in Bangladesh from March 16-April 6.

Mohammad Hafeez is expected to lead the team. He led Pakistan to a semi-final finish in the last World Twenty20 held in Sri Lanka in 2012.

Pakistan won the 2009 event held in England.

Preliminary squad: Mohammad Hafeez, Ahmad Shahzad, Sharjeel Khan, Shahzaib Hasan, Nasir Jamshaid, Khurram Manzoor, Shoaib Malik, Sohaib Maqsood, Umar Akmal, Harris Sohail, Yasir Arafat, Yasir Shah, Hammad Azam, Kamran Akmal, Shahid Khan Afridi, Zohaib Ahmed, Sohail Tanveer, Mohammad Irfan, Umar Gul, Junaid Khan, Bilawal Bhatti, Anwar Ali, Asad Ali, Ehsan Adil, Mohammad Talha, Saeed Ajmal, Zulfiqar Babar, Raza Hasan, Abdul Rehman, Sarfaraz Ahmed.