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RAWALPINDI: The Pakistan cricket selectors Wednesday announced a 15-man team for the Samsung Cup third one-day international against India to be played at Peshawar on Friday.

Rao Iftikhar Anjum and Misbah-ul-Haq were dropped from the original squad of 16, announced for the first two matches, while the only inclusion was that of left-handed opener Taufeeq Umer.

Chief selector Wasim Bari, announcing the 15-member squad, said batsman Misbah-ul-Haq and rookie fast bowler Rao Iftikhar had been released to play domestic cricket.

The left-hander scored a fluent century last week for the Pakistan A team against India in the one-day warm up match to lead his team to a surprising win.

Taufeeq, a regular in the Pakistan test team, last played a one-day international in Sri Lanka last year. The five-match series is tied 1-1.

Bhandari replaces Nehra

For India, Delhi paceman Amit Bhandari will replace the injured Ashish Nehra for the last three one-dayers.

Indian cricket board secretary Karunakaran Nair said Bhandari would join the team either for Friday's third game or for the last two mactches to be played on March 21 and 24.

Left-arm paceman Nehra tore a webbing on his bowling hand in Tuesday's second one-dayer in Rawalpindi which the hosts won by 12 runs to level the series 1-1.

Nehra, also struggling with an ankle injury, will be sorely missed after his impressive start to the tour. He returned figures of 3-44 from 10 overs on Tuesday despite Pakistan piling up a huge 329 for six after his last over bowling heroics had set up India's five-run win in the opener in Karachi.

The 25-year-old Bhandari, a consistent wicket-taker in domestic matches through swing than sheer pace, also played in the recent one-day tri-series in Australia after he was called up as an injury replacement for left-arm Zaheer Khan and Nehra.

Squad

Pakistan squad for Friday's game: Inzamam-ul-Haq (captain), Yasir Hameed, Shahid Afridi, Imran Farhat, Yousuf Youhana (vice-captain), Younis Khan, Moin Khan (wicket-keeper), Abdul Razzaq, Shoaib Malik, Taufeeq Umar, Shoaib Akhtar, Mohammad Sami, Shabbir Ahmed, Saqlain Mushtaq, Rana Naveed-ul-Hasan.