Pakistan Cricket team have recalled Shan Masood for the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup 2022 scheduled to take place in Australia, starting October 16. The squad also features star fast bowler Shaheen Afridi, who missed the Asia Cup 2022 due to a knee injury.
The selectors have made a big call, picking Masood, who is still uncapped in this format at the international level. enjoyed a successful PSL 2022 campaign for Multan Sultans, aggregating 478 runs from 12 innings at a strike-rate of 138.15. Recently, Masood hit 204 runs in eight innings at a strike-rate of 129.93 in the National T20 Cup. His inclusion is likely to solve Pakistan’s middle order woes.
Shaheen Afridi, on the other hand, is currently recovering from the knee injury in the United Kingdom. He is expected to return to bowling fitness early next month.
Ticket to Australia! 🎟️🇦🇺
Our ICC @T20WorldCup-bound squad 🙌#BackTheBoysInGreen pic.twitter.com/S07IokFB0W
— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) September 15, 2022
Haider Ali comes in for Fakhar Zaman, who remains in the reserves despite a poor 2022 with the bat. The left-hander has played seven T20Is this year, totalling just 96 runs and averaging 13.71. The rest of the squad is almost similar to what played in the recently concluded Asia Cup 2022 in the UAE.
Pakistan’ T20 World Cup squad: Babar Azam (c), Shadab Khan (vc), Asif Ali, Haider Ali, Haris Rauf, Iftikhar Ahmed, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Wasim, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shan Masood, Usman Qadir
Travelling Reserves: Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Haris and Shahnawaz Dahani.
“It is fair to them that they get the opportunity to show their mettle” – Pakistan chief selector
Pakistan’s chief selector Muhammad Wasim is confident that this team can put up a strong performance in the T20 World Cup. Barring the Asia Cup 2022, they have performed well, winning nine out of last 13 T20Is.
“We have a team that can perform strongly in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022,” chief selector Mohammad Wasim said. “That’s why we have shown faith and confidence in almost the same set of players who have been part of the T20I squad post the 2021 World Cup in the UAE.
“These players have performed well since November 2021 and that’s why we have won nine out of our last 13 T20Is. We have invested in these cricketers and it is fair to them that they get the opportunity to show their mettle in the World Cup, an event for which they have been preparing and training hard,” he added.
Pakistan are placed in Group B and will begin their quest for a second title against India on October 24 in Melbourne.
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