Pakistan has announced its 15-player squad for the upcoming ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup, set to take place in India in October and November. The selection process focused on maintaining consistency and confidence within the current team. In a notable change, the national men’s selection committee, led by Inzamam-ul-Haq, made just one alteration due to an injury.
Fast bowler Naseem Shah, who sustained a shoulder injury during the Men’s ODI Asia Cup 2023 match against India on 11 September, has been replaced by Hasan Ali. Following extensive medical evaluations and consultations with experts, it was determined that Naseem Shah would require surgery, with an expected recovery time of three to four months.
Additionally, the selectors have announced three traveling reserves for the tournament: wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Haris, mystery spinner Abrar Ahmed, and fast bowler Zaman Khan.
The finalized squad includes:
- Babar Azam (Captain)
- Shadab Khan (Vice-Captain)
- Fakhar Zaman
- Imam ul Haq
- Abdullah Shafique
- Mohammad Rizwan (Wicketkeeper)
- Agha Salman
- Saud Shakeel
- Iftikhar Ahmed
- Mohammad Nawaz
- Usama Mir
- Shaheen Afridi
- Haris Rauf
- Hassan Ali
- Mohammad Wasim Jr.
In addition to the core squad, the team has designated Mohammad Haris (Wicketkeeper), Zaman Khan, and Abrar Ahmed as traveling reserves.
Read more: Pakistan, ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup, Squad, Selection, Naseem Shah, Hasan Ali, Injury, Traveling Reserves, Warm-up Matches, Babar Azam, Number One Ranked Team, One-Day International Format.
https://x.com/cricketpakcompk/status/1705106135257383012?s=20
Read more: Pakistan vs. New Zealand match to be played in empty stadium due to security concerns
The Pakistan cricket team will engage in two warm-up matches before their tournament opener. They are scheduled to face New Zealand on 29 September and Australia on 3 October. Pakistan’s World Cup campaign begins with a match against the Netherlands on 6 October.
Babar Azam’s team enters the tournament as the number one ranked side and boasts the best win/loss ratio of 2.400 in the current World Cup cycle for any team competing in the One-Day International format.
The squad was announced after much delay as deliberations were underway at Pakistan Cricket Board to pick a balanced squad following the exit of Naseem Shah due to injury and also to support the team with a specialist spinner.