Babar Azam will lead Pakistan at the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup as the runner-up of the last edition revealed their 15-men squad on Friday with experienced pacer Hasan Ali being the notable omission. (More Cricket News)
The squad was on expected line with most of the regulars finding a place.
“This is an extremely talented and balanced side that has a mixture of youth and experience," the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said in its statement. "These players have been playing together for some time and look well-prepared and settled for next month’s event.
Express pacer Haris Rauf who was sidelined since the beginning of the year due to an injury has also been named. As per Pakistan Cricket Board, Rauf is now fully fit.
“Haris Rauf is fully fit and bowling well in the nets. It would have been nice if he had gotten an outing at Headingley, but we remain confident that he will continue to maintain an upward trajectory in the upcoming matches, as he will have an important role to play along with other strike bowlers in the T20 World Cup,” PCB stated.
Mohammad Amir who recently made his comeback into the national side after a long hiatus was also picked alongside a host of other fast bowlers.
Naseem Shah, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Abbas Afridi are the other fast bowlers in the squad.
Two wrist spinners, Shadab Khan and Abrar Ahmed, alongside left-arm spinner Imad Wasim are also part of the squad.
Pakistan are in Group A alongside arch-rivals India, USA, Canada and Ireland. The Babar Azam-led side will begin their campaign on June 6 against the hosts USA and then will play against India in a blockbuster clash on June 9.
Pakistan squad: Babar Azam (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Azam Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Rizwan, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usman Khan
