Breaking: PCB announces Pakistan squad for Asia Cup 2023
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) selected a 15-man lineup for the Asia Cup in 2023. Babar Azam has been chosen to head the team in the six-nation event.
The group also includes Shaheen Afridi, Mohammad Rizwan, Imam-ul-Haq, Naseem Shah, and Haris Rauf. Pakistan reached the final of the Asia Cup 2022, which was contested in T20 format, and will be hoping for a better performance in 2023, which will be played in fifty-over format.
The side's openers are Abdullah Shaqfique, Fakhar Zaman, and Imam-ul-Haq. Mohammad Haris has been named as Mohammad Rizwan's backup wicketkeeper and hitter. Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, and Usama Mir will spearhead the attack in the spin-bowling department.
Faheem Ashraf, the pace-bowling all-rounder, has returned to the ODI team after a two-year absence. He last appeared for Pakistan in an ODI in July 2021.
Tayyab Tahir and Saud Shakeel have also been named to the Afghanistan ODI team. Shakeel, on the other hand, will not compete in the Asia Cup. Without Shakeel, the squad will be reduced to 17 members for the Asia Cup.
Saud has played five One-Day Internationals (ODIs), the most recent in March 2022, when Pakistan chased down 348 against Australia with six wickets in hand in Lahore.
Shan Masood and Ihsanullah, who were members of the team that played against New Zealand in April and May, are both missing from the group. Shan's exclusion was explained in the PCB medla release as a result of a streak of poor scores.
On August 18, the Pakistani squad will arrive in Hambantota, Sri Lanka. Before leaving on August 17, some of the players will undergo a camp at the National Cricket Academy in Karachi. The camps will take place on August 14, 15, and 16.
Pakistan Squad For Asia Cup 2023 and Afghanistan ODIs: Babar Azam (c), Fakhar, M Rizwan, Shadab Khan, Abdullah Shafique, Faheem Ashraf, Haris Rauf, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imam Ul Haq, M Haris, M Wasim Jr, Saud Shakeel (Only for AFG ODIS), Naseem Shah, Agha Salman, Shaheen Afridi, Tayyab Tahir, Usama Mir