Pakistan T20 World Cup squad announcement Live Updates: Babar Azam and Shaheen Shah Afridi's form and fitness will be pivotal to Pakistan's success in the T20 World Cup. (Photos: ICC/Twitter)Pakistan T20 World Cup Squad announcement Live Updates: The Pakistan Cricket Board have announced the men’s squads for the 2022 T20 World Cup next month in Australia. While Babar Azam will lead the side, Shadab Khan will be his deputy in chief. Shaheen Shah Afridi has returned after missing out the Asia Cup owing to injury. Naseem Shah, who made his T20I debut for Pakistan in Asia Cup has also been added to the squad for the World Cup. Here are the details.
Pakistan squad: Babar Azam (c), Shadab Khan (vc), Asif Ali, Haider Ali, Haris Rauf, Iftikhar Ahmed, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Wasim, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shan Masood, Usman Qadir
Reserves: Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Haris, Shahnawaz Dahani
Babar Azam and co were the semifinalists in the UAE edition last year, after winning all their group stage matches against India, New Zealand, Afghanistan, Namibia and Scotland. It was only in the final four fixture in Dubai that the eventual world champions bested Pakistan to set up a final against New Zealand.
In an interview to Geo TV, he had spoke about the revival in white-ball cricket. "“It is true that I wasn’t playing white-ball cricket the way it was required earlier but I didn’t limit myself, I didn’t stop and instead I opted to analyse my game and find ways to improve it. If you limit yourself thinking that you can’t do beyond this then you’re an enemy of yourself. Several factors contributed to my improvement in white-ball cricket, most importantly is playing PSL for Multan Sultans."
“Last couple of years have taught me a lot, from losing place in Pakistan team to losing captaincy of Multan Sultans and losing my place in the PSL playing XI, and then eight months back when my sister passed away – I realised life is beyond just cricket.”
“I am enjoying whatever I am playing. I can’t play for all my life so I have to enjoy the moment that is with me"
Perhaps the biggest name missing out the 15 player squad for the T20 World Cup is that of Fakhar Zaman. The Pakistan number three has been added among reserves for the World Cup and rested for the seven match England T20I series. Here is what Chief Selector Muhammad Wasim had to say on the matter.
“Fakhar Zaman has also been rested from the England T20Is so that he can recover from the knee injury he sustained when he landed awkwardly while fielding in the final.”
Babar Azam (captain), Shadab Khan (vice-captain), Aamir Jamal, Abrar Ahmed, Asif Ali, Haider Ali, Haris Rauf, Iftikhar Ahmed, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Haris, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Wasim Junior, Naseem Shah, Shahnawaz Dahani, Shan Masood and Usman Qadir.
Babar Azam (c), Shadab Khan (vc), Asif Ali, Haider Ali, Haris Rauf, Iftikhar Ahmed, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Wasim, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shan Masood, Usman Qadir
Reserves: Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Haris, Shahnawaz Dahani
The bowling looks fine, especially with the return of Shaheen Afridi and Shahnawaz Dahani.
It’s the batting that is wagging the Pakistani tongues.
Perhaps, someone should do a Imran and Miandad and rope in an absolute newcomer. Remember the off spinner Tauseef Ahmed in the 80’s? A truly Pakistan story, if there is one.
He is plucked from club cricket to bowl in the nets. Miandad likes him. So does Imran. Two days later they say come to the team-hotel as there is a intra-team practice match you can play. During the game, it’s decided that he is good enough to play in a Test match and there he was, three days after he left his home to bowl at nets, playing in a Test.
But the good thing is there is enough talent out there for them not to resort to any left-field picking. But will they be able to nail the batting middle order? Will they stick to the guns and select the same team or bow to the pressure and bring someone new (or old)?
Some fans have raised in protest about the criticism of Iftiqar Ahmed, pointing out his success on Australian pitches.
Others have questioned Malik being pushed by several former cricketers, pointing out his unflattering performances in ICC tournaments.
Check this list of numbers.
Others have raised questions about Haider Ali wasn’t used at all in the Asia Cup.
Enter Aaqib Javed (how to spell his name should be a lesson in English, like Babar Azam’s cover drive in science textbooks in Pakistan). Is it Aqib? Aaqib? Aaquib? What’s in a name, though. One of the most accomplished coaches and talent spotters in world cricket, not just in Pakistan, lamented the absence of Shan Masood in particular, and also threw in names like Tayyab Tahir and Agha Salman for that middle order.
He also questioned the ‘slow’ batting style of Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan in the opening, asking for them to be split up, and urging them to push Fakhar Zaman back to the opening spot. “Usko beda garak karma rahen hai (he is being destroyed) at No.3 he says.
More from Sports
Pakistan is about to select their team for World T20 in Australia. Much fun awaits.
Already, much drama has transpired. They reached the final of Asia Cup but since they lost two games in a row to Sri Lanka, batting first and chasing, some mayhem has been unleashed in the Pakistan cricketing fraternity.
Especially triggered by Shoaib Malik’s tweet about “like dislike culture” in Pakistan cricket.
The interpretation was that the trio in the middle order - Iftiqhar Ahmed, Asif Ali, and Khusdil Shah - don’t really deserve the place.
Former players pitched in. Inzamam-ul-Haq aka Inzybhai, who knows how to lob ‘zeher ka peda’ (poisoned sweets!), agreed with Malik’s ‘like dislike’ but said it’s happened in the past and will continue to be so in the future. More importantly, he questioned a few existing places in the team, and said Malik should be selected.
The Pakistan captain was the highest run scorer at the last edition of the T20 World Cup. At the 2022 Asia Cup, Babar Azam's form was a big talking point. The 27-year-old was only able to score 68 runs in 6 matches, crossing the 20 run mark only once in the competition. Will the skipper be able to find his mojo for the big tournament in the England series and the tri-series against New Zealand and Bangladesh?
While Australia, the defending champions and the hosts, were the first to announce their squad, the rest of the teams are also shaping up for the competition.
Read here - T20 World Cup 2022: All team squads announced so far
One of the big names missing at the 2022 Asia Cup was that of Shaheen Shah Afridi. The sight of the left arm quick tormenting through batting lineups was dearly missed by Pakistan fans and neutrals. Going into the T20 World Cup, the 22-year-old's fitness will be pivotal for Pakistan. And it would be a big plus for the fans to have a look at that name in the final squad announcement today.
“It would be a blunder if they replace him now," Akmal said. "But it should be better than the way he’s captained in the Asia Cup final. Before that his captaincy was superb. He utilised his bowlers very well. He utilised Nawaz very well. But when your form isn’t good, you can adjust yourself in the lineup for the team. Rizwan (Mohammed) can be sent at three or he (Babar) can do that himself, Fakhar (Zaman) can be made to open.”
Read here: ‘Had advised him not to become captain’: Kamran Akmal on Pakistan skipper Babar Azam
“I think Shan Masood and Sharjeel (Khan) and Shoaib Malik should be in the team, especially in the middle order,” Inzy told reporters in Pakistan. The Babar-Azam-led team suffered two consecutive defeats at the hands of Sri Lanka in the last two Asia Cup matches.
Read here: Shoaib Malik should be in Pakistan’s team for T20 World Cup: Inzamam ul Haq
Aaqib Javed, the former Pakistan bowler who is a coach now, has come out strongly against the opening pair of Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan, and also questioned how Shoaib Malik was “forcibly removed” without a good alternative. He lashed out against the selectors and team-management for playing Iftiqhar Ahmed, Asif Ali, and Khushdil Shah, and suggested alternatives for them.
Read here: 'Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan are not going to win you tournaments’: Aaqib Javed, coach and former player, lashes out
Even after their Asia Cup 2022 final defeat against Sri Lanka, Pakistan will be one of the teams to watch out for at the 2022 T20 World Cup. Follow us as we take you through the men in green's squad announcement for the premier event next month and also for the England home series and the tri series in New Zealand in the buildup to the World Cup in October.