Pakistan skipper Younus Khan (left) and Sri Lanka skipper Mahela Jayawardene

Pakistan have named three uncapped players in their line-up for the first Test against Sri Lanka, which starts in Karachi on Saturday.

The 12 players selected include opener Khurrum Manzoor and pace bowlers Sohail Khan and Mohammad Talha.

Manzoor and Khan have played one-day internationals but Talha is yet to play at any level for his country.

Pakistan have not played a Test match since December 2007, when they drew with India in Bangalore.

"We wanted a lively and sporting pitch for the match and the bowling is our strength, so we have picked five specialist bowlers in our 12," said Pakistan skipper Younus Khan.

Younus is leading Pakistan in his first full Test series after replacing Shoaib Malik as captain last month after Pakistan's defeat in a home one-day series against Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka toured Pakistan for the ODIs and are now playing two hastily arranged Tests after India pulled out of a full tour in December following the Mumbai terror attacks.

Younus, who refused the captaincy after the 2007 World Cup, said he wanted to emulate former captain and cricketing great, Imran Khan.

"When Imran retired, the team he built reigned supreme for the next eight years," said Younus.

"I also want to leave behind a legacy of a team which remains among the top sides."

Sri Lanka's Mahela Jayawardene, set to step down as his country's captain after the series, said he was confident about his batting form.

He said: "I see this series as any other series. I have enjoyed leading my country but now I want to contribute more as a player. It's a good opportunity for me to executive my batting properly."

Pakistan paceman Shoaib Akhtar has been ruled out of the two-match series because of injury. He was handed a central contract by the PCB last month, but was unimpressive in the one-day series against Sri Lanka and was advised to undergo knee surgery.

Sri Lanka's 15-man tour squad includes two uncapped players in batsman Tharanga Paranavitana and paceman Suranga Lakmal.

They lost by 112 runs to the Patron's XI in a two-day game which ended on Wednesday. There was consolation, however, in the form of batsman Kumar Sangakkara, who made 100 from 176 balls.

Pakistan XII: Younus Khan (Capt), Misbah-ul-Haq, Salman Butt, Khurrum Manzoor, Shoaib Malik, Faisal Iqbal, Kamran Akmal, Sohail Khan, Umar Gul, Mohammad Talha, Yasir Arafat, Danish Kaneria.

Sri Lanka from: Mahela Jayawardene (Capt), Kumar Sangakkara, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Chamara Kapugedera, Tharanga Paranavitana, Thilan Samaraweera, Malinda Warnapura, Muttiah Muralitharan, Chaminda Vaas, Ajantha Mendis, Dilhara Fernando, Farveez Maharoof, Thilan Thushara, Suranga Lakmal, Prasanna Jayawardene.

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