After boycott threat, Pakistan names T20 World Cup squad; Babar Azam included | Full list inside
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Sunday announced its 15-member squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup despite uncertainty over the team’s participation, with the government yet to give clearance amid rising tensions around the tournament.
PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi backed Bangladesh after the ICC rejected the Bangladesh Cricket Board’s request to shift its World Cup matches from India to Sri Lanka over security concerns. Calling the decision “double standards,” Naqvi said Pakistan would follow its government’s instructions on whether it would take part in the event.
“We are selectors, and our job is to pick the team,” selection committee member Aaqib Javed told reporters in Lahore. “We’ve announced the team very close to the (ICC) deadline. The government will decide on our participation, so I can say nothing on that front. That’s what the chairman has said, too, so we’ll wait for their decision.”
The ICC has set January 30 as the deadline for all 20 teams to submit final squads.
Despite mixed form in recent months, former captain Babar Azam was included in the squad. Head coach Mike Hesson clarified that Babar is unlikely to open the batting at the World Cup but could play a key role in the middle overs, especially on slower pitches in Sri Lanka, where Pakistan is scheduled to play all its matches.
“He (Babar) certainly has the skill to control the middle overs, if required, and then to feed the strike to certain players,” Hesson said. ““If we’re chasing a lower score, he certainly has that ability to control a chase … the conditions in Australia are significantly different than what we’re going to face in Sri Lanka, so we factored all those things in.”
Fast bowler Mohammad Wasim was left out of the 16-member squad announced for next week’s three-match T20 series against Australia in Lahore. At the same time, Haris Rauf was again ignored after not featuring since the Asia Cup last September.
Pakistan opted for a pace-heavy attack featuring Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah and Salman Mirza, while also naming four spinners — Mohammad Nawaz, Shadab Khan, Abrar Ahmed and Usman Tariq — considering spin-friendly conditions.
Pakistan will open their Group A campaign against the Netherlands on February 7, followed by matches against the United States (February 10), India (February 15) and Namibia (February 18).
Pakistan squad for T20 World Cup:
Salman Ali Agha (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Khawaja Nafay, Mohammad Nawaz, Salman Mirza, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shadab Khan, Usman Khan, Usman Tariq