Sports Report
LAHORE: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Monday named a 15-member squad for the three-match T20I series against Afghanistan to be played from March 24 to March 27 in Sharjah, UAE.
All-rounder Shadab Khan will lead the Pakistan side, including four uncapped players: Ihsanullah, Saim Ayub, Zaman Khan, and Tayyab Tahir, while Abdullah Shafique, Imad Wasim, Azam Khan, and Faheem Ashraf have been recalled.
Pakistan captain Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Shaheen Shah Afridi, and Mohammad Rizwan have been rested, while Asif Ali, Khushdil Shah, Haider Ali, and Mohammad Hasnain have been dropped. These nine players were also part of the Pakistan team that reached the final of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022 in Australia.
Apart from Shadab, players retained from the last T20I series are Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Haris, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Wasim Junior, Naseem Shah, and Shan Masood.
Pakistan squad for T20I series against Afghanistan
Shadab Khan (captain) (Islamabad United), Mohammad Haris (Peshawar Zalmi), Abdullah Shafique (Lahore Qalandars), Azam Khan (Islamabad United), Iftikhar Ahmed (Quetta Gladiators), Ihsanullah (Multan Sultans), Imad Wasim (Karachi Kings), Mohammad Nawaz (Quetta Gladiators), Faheem Ashraf (Islamabad United), Saim Ayub (Peshawar Zalmi), Mohammad Wasim Junior (Islamabad United), Naseem Shah (Quetta Gladiators), Shan Masood (Multan Sultans), Zaman Khan (Lahore Qalandars), and Tayyab Tahir (Karachi Kings).
Reserve players are Abrar Ahmed (Islamabad United), Usama Mir (Multan Sultans), and Haseebullah (Peshawar Zalmi).
Najam Sethi congratulates Shadab Khan
Chair of the PCB Management Committee, Najam Sethi, said, “I want to congratulate Shadab Khan on his appointment as captain for the T20I series against Afghanistan. Shadab Khan has been the Pakistan vice-captain in ODIs for the past couple of years, and it is logical that he leads the side in the absence of Babar Azam for the three-match T20I tour of Sharjah.
