Babar to lead 15-member Pakistan squad at ICC T20 World Cup 2024

By Muhammad Ali

LAHORE: Babar Azam will lead a 15-member Pakistan squad at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 as the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Friday named their pace-heavy outfit for the tournament. The national team were confirmed yesterday following a two-hour selection committee meeting, which was attended by Abdul Razzaq, Asad Shafiq, Babar, Bilal Afzal, Gary Kirsten, Mohammad Yousuf and Wahab Riaz. “This is an extremely talented and balanced side that has a mixture of youth and experience. These players have been playing together for some time and look well-prepared and settled for next month’s event,” a PCB spokesman said.

Babar, who stepped down as captain after the 50-over Cricket World Cup in November, was reinstated earlier this year and will lead the 2009 champions at the tournament in the United States and West Indies next month. The selectors have also retained fast bowler Haris Rauf despite doubts about his fitness and lack of match practice. The 30-year-old injured his shoulder during Pakistan Super League in February and is expected to play in the second Twenty20 international in Birmingham on Saturday – his first outing since recovery. The PCB selection committee said Rauf was fit and raring to go. “Rauf is full fit and bowling well in the nets,” the PCB spokesman. “It would have been nice if he had gotten an outing in the first match at Headingley, but we remain confident that he will continue to maintain an upward trajectory in the coming matches.” The Headingley match between Pakistan and England was abandoned due to rain. Pakistan are the 20th and the last team to announce the squad as they continued to search for combinations since their 2-2 series draw at home against New Zealand last month.

Fast bowler Hasan Ali, as well as batters Agha Salman and Muhammad Irfan Khan were left off the squad. Fast bowler Mohammad Amir – the only survivor of Pakistan’s 2009 Twenty20 World Cup triumph – is staging a comeback after coming out of retirement two months ago. He is part of a strong pace attack spearheaded by Shaheen Shah Afridi, Rauf, Naseem Shah and Abbas Afridi. Pakistan lost in the semifinal of the 2021 Twenty20 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates and in the final in Australia in 2022. The tournament will run from June 1 to June 29. Teams are divided into four groups of five with the top two teams qualifying for the Super Eight Stage in which all matches will be played in the West Indies. Pakistan’s Group A includes arch-rivals India, as well as Canada and Ireland. Pakistan will face USA in their first match in Dallas on June 6.

Pakistan squad:

Babar Azam (captain), Mohammad Rizwan, Saim Ayub, Fakhar Zaman, Usman Khan, Azam Khan, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Amir, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah, Abbas Afridi, Haris Rauf, Abrar Ahmed.

Pakistan’s schedule of matches:

June 6 — vs USA, Grand Prairie Cricket Stadium, Dallas

June 9 — vs India, Nassau County International Cricket Stadium, New York

June 11 — vs Canada, Nassau County International Cricket Stadium, New York

June 16 — vs Ireland, Central Broward Park & Broward County Stadium, Lauderhill, Florida

Pakistan have been seeded A2 in the first round and if they qualify for the second round, then their Super Eight matches will be as follows:

June 19 — vs D1, Antigua

June 21 — vs C2, Barbados

June 23 — vs B1, Barbados