Kamran Akmal has returned to the squad, while Imran Nazir may be viewed by some as a surprise inclusion.
The 15-man party will also face Australia in a three-match series in the UAE ahead of the ICC World Twenty20.
Khalid Latif, Ahmed Shahzad, Hammad Azam, Haris Sohail and Shakeel Ansar all miss out on the event, despite having been involved in the T20 squad on the recent tour to Sri Lanka.
Pakistan captured the men's tournament in 2009 in a memorable final against Sri Lanka.
Full squad: Mohammad Hafeez (capt), Imran Nazir, Nasir Jamshed, Kamran Akmal (wk), Asad Shafiq, Shoaib Malik, Abdul Razzaq, Shahid Afridi, Yasir Arafat, Umar Akmal, Saeed Ajmal, Raza Hasan, Umar Gul, Mohammad Sami, Sohail Tanvir