Pakistan’s T20 World Cup Squad Announced
Pakistan’s senior national selectors have included former captain Babar Azam, pace spearhead Shaheen Shah Afridi, and spinner Shadab Khan in a preliminary 20-player squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup. Notably, former captain and wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan has been left out.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has submitted this preliminary squad of 20 to the International Cricket Council (ICC), which will be trimmed to 15 by head coach Mike Hesson in the coming days. Sources indicate that the PCB has met the January 7 deadline for this submission, and it is Hesson’s responsibility as per his contract to finalize the squad.
While many participating nations have already announced their squads for the T20 World Cup, set to be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka from February 7, all 20 teams can modify their rosters until January 31. A committee will then have the authority to approve any necessary replacements.
The tenth edition of the T20 international will take place from February 7 to March 8 in India and Sri Lanka. Pakistan will play all its matches in Sri Lanka following an arrangement made last year when the BCCI declined to send the team to Pakistan for the 2025 Champions Trophy.
Sources state that besides Babar Azam, Shaheen Shah Afridi, and Shadab Khan, former captain and wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan will not be part of the squad. It is reported that Hesson believes Usman Khan will be a better choice as wicketkeeper, explaining Rizwan’s exclusion. Remarkably, Shaheen is expected to recover from a knee injury within the next two weeks.
Babar’s inclusion is further bolstered by his recent form; he scored two fifties for Sydney Thunder in the Big Bash League (BBL), earning the selectors’ approval. Interestingly, Shaheen Shah Afridi has also been shortlisted despite his injury sustained during the BBL.
The report highlights that the squad features five spinners: Shadab, Mohammad Nawaz, Abrar Ahmed, Usman Tariq, and Maaz Sadaqat. Notably, spinner Sufiyan Muqeem and pacer Ahmed Danyal have been overlooked, despite their promising performances at the international level with the senior team and Pakistan Shaheen.
The PCB’s selection committee has recently been reduced to three members following Azhar Ali’s resignation from all posts. The committee now consists of Aqib Javed, Aameen Dar, and Asad, with each member holding equal rights and no designated chief selector.