Pakistan has announced the squad which will take on West Indies in the upcoming three-match series.
The series is part of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Super League with the games currently scheduled to take place at the Pindi Cricket Stadium on the 8th, 10th, and 12th of June.
The number of members has been trimmed to 16 from 21 as there will be no Managed Event Environment.
As a result, Asif Afridi, Asif Ali, Haider Ali, and Usman Qadir missed out on a place on the team.
Babar Azam will continue to lead the side, while Shadab Khan, who missed the Australia ODIs due to an injury, returns as the team’s vice-captain.
The squad will assemble in Rawalpindi on June 1st for a training camp.
Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Mohammad Rizwan, and Shadab Khan, who are all presently playing in the English County Championship, will join the squad in time for the practice sessions.
“As the ODIs against the West Indies are part of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 qualification, we have decided to give best chance to our side to collect maximum points and strengthen our chances of progressing directly for the pinnacle 50-over tournament. We have retained the same core of players so they further establish themselves in the format. I hope this bunch will continue the form they gained from the Australia series said Chief selector Mohammad Wasim.
The squad includes three openers in Abdullah Shafique, Fakhar Zaman, and Imam-ul-Haq with Babar Azam, Iftikhar Ahmed, and Khushdil Shah handed the middle-order duties.
Mohammad Haris and Mohammad Rizwan have been selected as batters/wicketkeepers with Mohammad Nawaz and Shadab Khan serving as bowling all-rounders.
Zahid Mahmood also finds a place as a wrist spinner while Pakistan has chosen five fast bowlers for the series in Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Mohammad Wasim Junior, Shaheen Shah Afridi, and Shahnawaz Dahani.
Pakistan West Indies series was rescheduled after a covid outbreak in the Windies camp forced the cancellation of the tour.
Pakistan squad for West Indies ODIs:
Babar Azam (captain), Shadab Khan (vice-captain), Abdullah Shafique, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imam-ul-Haq, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Haris (wicketkeeper/batter), Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper/batter), Mohammad Wasim Junior, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shahnawaz Dahani and Zahid Mahmood.