The wait for Pakistan’s T20 World Cup squad lingers as the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman, Mohsin Naqvi, has halted the announcement, expressing dissatisfaction with the selection process. Sources reveal that Naqvi is displeased due to the absence of thorough meetings prior to the team’s finalization.
Naqvi has taken the issue seriously, writing to the selection committee members to seek clarification. The squad will not be revealed until the selection committee completes the necessary process.
Reports indicate that the selection committee is currently divided over the inclusion of one or two players, causing further delay. Sources say the process should be completed within the next three hours, after which the squad will finally be announced.
Notably, Pakistan remains the only team among the 20 participating nations in the T20 World Cup yet to announce their squad for the mega-event.
Initially, it was planned that the squad would be announced after the first T20I against England. However, the match was washed out, disrupting plans to assess team combinations before the announcement.
With the ICC’s deadline of May 25 looming for submitting World Cup squads, the pressure is on. The T20I series between Pakistan and England, running from May 22 to 30, serves as crucial preparation for both teams.
The last T20 World Cup finalists Pakistan and England will skip the warm-up matches for this year’s tournament, making these T20Is even more significant.
Pakistan’s likely T20 World Cup 2024 squad
Babar Azam (c), Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Rizwan, Usman Khan, Azam Khan, Imad Wasim, Shadab Khan, Saim Ayub, Iftikhar Ahmed, Abrar Ahmed, Shaheen Afridi, Mohammad Amir, Naseem Shah, Abbas Afridi and Haris Rauf.
Reserves: Salman Ali Agha and Irfan Khan.
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