Irfan comes into the squad as cover for Junaid Khan, who suffered a concussion on the third day of the second Test with Sri Lanka after being hit on the head by a short delivery from Dhammika Prasad.
Junaid was forced to miss the rest of the finale to the two-match Test series, which Sri Lanka won by 105 runs to seal a 2-0 whitewash.
The 24-year-old was expected to be fit for the limited-overs series, however, Irfan could play his first international cricket since November last year should Junaid fail to recover in time.
"Junaid is getting better and has started practising," Pakistan team manager Moin Khan told ESPNcricinfo. "We just want to strengthen the bench, in case anything goes wrong with Junaid, then we can have a bowler to replace him."
A hip injury has prevented Irfan from featuring for Pakistan this year, but the 32-year-old will now look to make an impression in the three-match series ahead of next year's Cricket World Cup.
Irfan has 39 wickets to his name in 27 ODIs at an average of 27.12
The ODI series gets underway in Hambantota on Saturday as Pakistan look to bounce back from disappointment in the Tests.