Pakistan’s 15-man squad for the T20 World Cup was announced on Friday, with fast bowler Mohammad Amir and allrounder Imad Wasim making a successful return from retirement to be included in the team. Both players have experience playing in the Caribbean Premier League, which was one of the factors considered by selectors in their decision. Despite not playing competitive cricket since dislocating his shoulder in late February, fast bowler Haris Rauf was also chosen for the squad. Rauf has been participating in net sessions without any issues and is known for his express pace, which is expected to be an asset in the T20 World Cup.
Pakistan is the last team of 20 to announce its squad for the upcoming tournament. The Pakistan Cricket Board revealed that there will be no travelling reserves in their squad. The team is set to open against the host U.S. on June 6 in Dallas, with group games scheduled against India, Canada, and Ireland. The top two teams from the group stage will advance to the next round.
Several players will be making their T20 World Cup debut for Pakistan, including leg-spinner Abrar Ahmed, wicketkeeper-batter Azam Khan, fast bowler Abbas Afridi, opening batter Saim Ayub, and middle-order batter Usman Khan. Usman Khan, who was previously banned by the Emirates Cricket Board, had a subpar performance in his first T20 series against New Zealand last month.
Pakistan has a strong history at the T20 World Cup, having reached the final in 2007 and winning the tournament in 2009. Under the captaincy of Babar Azam, the team made it to the semifinals in 2021 and finished as runners-up in 2022. The squad is led by captain Babar Azam and includes players like Mohammad Rizwan, Naseem Shah, Shadab Khan, and Shaheen Shah Afridi. The tournament is set to begin on June 1 in the Caribbean and the United States.