Pakistan announce T20 World Cup squad amid boycott rumours

Pakistan have announced a 15-member squad for the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup, dispelling speculations of a boycott after Bangladesh were left out of the tournament.

After their demand for a venue change was rejected, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) refused to travel to India to play the World Cup. As a result, the ICC announced Scotland as Bangladesh’s replacement. 

Reacting to the development, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi had said that Bangladesh had been treated unfairly and that the final decision regarding the World Cup rested with the Pakistani government. 

His comment had led to further speculations, with former cricketers from Pakistan also weighing in on the situation. But the very next day, the PCB announced the World Cup squad.

Pakistan, placed in Group A, will play all of their matches in the tournament in Sri Lanka. 

They will begin their World Cup campaign on February 7 with a match against the Netherlands in Colombo. 

The squad was announced at a press conference at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on Sunday morning by PCB Director of High Performance and selection committee member Aqib Javed. 

Salman Ali Agha will lead Pakistan at a major ICC tournament for the first time. Faheem Ashraf, Khawaja Mohammad Nafay, Mohammad Salman Mirza, Sahibzada Farhan and Usman Tariq will all be making their World Cup debuts, although they are familiar faces in Pakistan’s setup.

Among the experienced players, Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman and Shadab Khan have retained their places. Shaheen Afridi will spearhead the bowling attack alongside Naseem Shah and spinner Abrar Ahmed. 

In the 20-team World Cup, each side will play four group matches before the Super Eight and knockout stages. The tournament will run until March 8.

Ahead of the World Cup, Pakistan will play a three-match T20I series at home against Australia, set to begin in Lahore on January 29.

Pakistan squad: Salman Ali Agha (c), Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Khawaja Mohammad Nafay (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Salman Mirza, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan (wk), Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shadab Khan, Usman Khan (wk) and Usman Tariq.