After failing to make much impact in the ongoing one-day international series, flamboyant all-rounder Shahid Afridi [ Images ] was on Friday left out of the 14-member Pakistan squad for the three-match Test series against India [ Images ] starting November 22.

Apart from Afridi, three others -- Fawad Alam [ Images ], Rao Iftikhar and Imran Nazir [ Images ] -- will also return home after the fifth and final one-dayer in Jaipur [ Images ].

"These four [Afridi, Alam, Iftikhar and Nazir] will return home after the final one-dayer in Jaipur," chief selector Salahuddin Ahmed said.

The selectors have brought in leg-spinner Danish Kaneria, pacer Mohammad Sami [ Images ] and batsman Faisal Iqbal [ Images ] in place of the omitted quartet.

Pakistan have already lost the five-match ODI series after losing the fourth game in Gwalior on Thursday to go down 1-3.

Defending Afridi's exclusion, Salahuddin said it would have been difficult to strike a balance in the Test team if the all-rounder had been accommodated.

"If we play three pacers and Danish it is difficult to find a place for him. He is such a senior player, we feel it is better he comes home," Salahuddin said.

Earlier, pacer Mohammad Asif [ Images ] failed to pass a fitness test, which ruled him out of the series.

Salahuddin admitted that Asif's failure to recover from his elbow injury has come as a blow to the team.

"He is a good pacer and ideal for Test matches. But since he is yet not recovered from his elbow injury we had no option left," he said.

Asif also missed the one-day series because of the injury after being initially picked in the squad.

The chief selector said Asif would be sent to Australia [ Images ] by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for examination by a sports medicine specialist.

"We are hoping he will make a complete recovery from his injury before our next series," he said.

The chief selector said losing the one-day series is a setback and disappointing but hopes that the players will learn from their mistakes and do better in the Tests.

Squad: Shoaib Malik [ Images ] (captain), Younis Khan [ Images ] (vice-captain), Abdur Rehman, Danish Kaneria, Faisal Iqbal, Mohammad Sami, Kamran Akmal (w/k), Misbah-ul Haq, Mohammad Yousuf [ Images ], Salman Butt [ Images ], Shoaib Akhtar [ Images ], Sohail Tanvir [ Images ], Umar Gul, Yasir Hameed [ Images ].