Pakistan have officially submitted their provisional 15-member squad for the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup to the International Cricket Council, though the list has not yet been made public. January 1 was the deadline set by the ICC, and the Pakistan Cricket Board completed the submission within the stipulated timeframe, according to reliable sources.
Under ICC regulations, teams are allowed to make changes to their provisional squads until January 31 without seeking approval. Any changes after that date will require clearance from the ICC’s tournament technical committee, giving selectors limited time to finalize combinations based on form and fitness.
The provisional squad reportedly includes injured fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi, former captain Babar Azam, and all-rounder Shadab Khan. Shadab, who has been sidelined since May last year due to a shoulder injury, recently returned to competitive cricket during the Big Bash League and has been picked for Pakistan’s upcoming T20I series against Sri Lanka.
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Selectors have largely chosen players who are part of the Sri Lanka tour, with the final World Cup squad expected to be decided after the conclusion of the three-match series starting January 7. Shaheen Afridi’s final inclusion will depend on his recovery from a knee injury sustained during the Big Bash League last week.
One of the biggest surprises is the exclusion of fast bowler Haris Rauf, who has not been named even in the provisional squad. His absence has sparked discussion, given his experience and past performances in T20 cricket for Pakistan.
Other players reportedly included are mystery spinners Usman Tariq and Abrar Ahmed, all-rounders Faheem Ashraf and Mohammad Nawaz, and batters Saim Ayub, Sahibzada Farhan, Fakhar Zaman, and Usman Khan. The squad also features Naseem Shah, Mohammad Wasim Jr, and Salman Ali Agha, indicating a blend of youth, pace depth, and all-round options as Pakistan fine-tune their World Cup plans.
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