Malik, who will become only the second Pakistani to play 100 Tests after Javed Miandad (124) if named in the playing lineup, was left out of the Peshawar Test which Pakistan lost by seven wickets. He was also ignored for three one-dayers against the same opposition.

But his match-winning 149 and five for 79 for LCCA in the four-dayer against Zimbabwe has served as the basis his comeback.

He will replace middle-order batsman Inzamam-ul-Haq who is ill and suffering from a recurrence of a knee injury. Uncapped rookie Mohammad Naveed Qureshi of Rawalpindi was also drafted into the side after opener Salim Elahi once again deserted the team without any information

Elahi had done the same after Pakistan were drubbed by 86 runs in the first one-dayer against Australia at Karachi when he left the team and didn't accompany the side to Peshawar for the second match.

However, high ranking team officials were trying to cover Elahi's action by saying he was suffering from a hamstring injury. To make the record straight, Elahi had played in Habib Bank's eight-wicket victory over PIA in a Patron's Trophy match that ended on Tuesday.

The 15 for the second Test are:

Aamir Sohail (captain), Saeed Anwar, Ijaz Ahmad, Salim Malik, Yousuf Youhana, Hasan Raza, Mohammad Naveed Qureshi, Moin Khan, Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Mohammad Akram, Shoaib Akhtar, Azhar Mahmood, Saqlain Mushtaq and Mushtaq Ahmad.