T20 WORLD CUP
Lahore, Jan 3: Pakistan have submitted their provisional 15-member squad for the World T20 Cup to the International Cricket Council but are yet to make the list public, a reliable source said.
January 1 was the deadline set by the ICC for participating teams to submit their provisional squads, and the Pakistan Cricket Board completed the process within the stipulated timeframe, the source.Not all teams have announced their provisional squads so far.Teams are permitted to make changes to their provisional squads until January 31 without seeking approval from the ICC. Any alterations after that date will require clearance from the ICC’s tournament technical committee.According to the source, Pakistan’s provisional squad includes injured fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi, former captain Babar Azam, and all-rounder Shadab Khan, who has not played international cricket since May last year due to a shoulder injury.Shadab returned to competitive cricket in the Big Bash League late last month and has been named in Pakistan’s squad for the upcoming three-match T20I series in Sri Lanka starting January 7.
The selectors have largely picked players who are part of the Sri Lanka tour, with the final World Cup squad likely to be firmed up after the series, the source said.
Fast bowler Haris Rauf has not been included even in the provisional squad, while Shaheen’s final selection will depend on his recovery from the knee injury sustained during the Big Bash League last week.
Other players named in the provisional squad include mystery spinners Usman Tariq and Abrar Ahmed, all-rounders Faheem Ashraf and Mohammad Nawaz, along with Saim Ayub, Sahibzada Farhan, Fakhar Zaman, Naseem Shah, Usman Khan, Mohammad Wasim Jr and Salman Ali Agha. Overall, the provisional submission underlines Pakistan’s cautious yet pragmatic approach as they navigate fitness concerns, form, and combinations ahead of the World T20 Cup. By including senior figures like Babar Azam alongside returning players such as Shadab Khan and a conditional pick in Shaheen Shah Afridi, the selectors have kept experience and match-winning pedigree firmly in focus, while still leaving the door open for adjustments based on performance and medical assessments.
The omission of Haris Rauf, even at this early stage, suggests that recent form and workload management are being weighed as heavily as reputation, while the presence of multiple spin and all-round options points to flexibility in team balance depending on conditions. With the Sri Lanka T20I series set to serve as a crucial final audition, the coming weeks are likely to bring clarity on Pakistan’s preferred combinations. (PTI)
