One of the biggest tournaments in cricket is just a few weeks away. The T20 World Cup 2022 is all set to begin on October 16 in Australia. The hosts will defend their title at home. Most of the teams have already announced their teams for the mega event.
On Thursday, the Pakistan Cricket Board and selection committee also announced their 15-member squad for the upcoming world cup. There is no change in the team, and the players who competed in the Asia Cup will continue. But the biggest name and the leader of the bowling attack, Shaheen Shah Afridi, is back in the team.
Shaheen, who missed the entire Asia Cup due to a knee injury, is back with the team. Another pacer who missed the Asia Cup, Mohammad Wasim Jr., is back in the team. But the dashing batsman, Fakhar Zaman, has not been included in the team. There was speculation that the left-hander had got injured.
That is why he is not part of the team, but instead he is on reserve. However, one name that has been in the circuit for almost a year, Shan Masood, has got his maiden call-up for Pakistan in T20Is. He will replace Fakhar in the team.
Pakistan has ignored veteran all-rounder Shoaib Malik yet again, and he is not in the squad. Shahnawaz Dahani, who performed well in the Asia Cup, is on reserve along with Fakhar and Muhammad Haris. The middle-order batsmen, Khusdil Shah, Asif Ali, and Iftikhar Ahmed, have retained their places.
The Men in Green lost the semi-finals of the last T20 World Cup at the hands of Australia and will look to perform well this time. Pakistan is placed in Group 2 with India, South Africa, Bangladesh and two qualifying teams. The Men in Green will start their tournament with a match against India on October 23, Sunday, at Melbourne Cricket Ground at 1:30 PM.
Pakistan’s squad for T20 World Cup 2022
Babar Azam (c), Shadab Khan (Vc), Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Asif Ali, Haider Ali, Shan Masood, Haris Rauf, Iftikhar Ahmed, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Usman Qadir, Naseem Shah
Reserve Players: Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Haris (wk), Shahnawaz Dahani