Pakistan National Cricket Team: Pakistan on Sunday dismissed speculation about a possible withdrawal from the ICC T20 World Cup and announced their squad for the upcoming tournament.
Salman Ali Agha will lead the side in his first World Cup as captain. The squad sees several changes, including the notable exclusion of pacers Mohammad Wasim and Haris Rauf. Rauf, 32, has been a mainstay in Pakistan’s T20 side since his debut in 2020 and is the country’s highest wicket-taker in the format, with 133 wickets in 94 matches.
Babar Azam returns to the squad despite a disappointing debut season in the Big Bash League. Shaheen Afridi is also included and is expected to recover from injury in time for the tournament. Naseem Shah will share new-ball duties with Afridi in Rauf’s absence.
Pakistan last played in the ICC T20 World Cup in 2024 but failed to reach the Super-8 stage after losses to India and the United States in the group stage. Salman Ali Agha and head coach Mike Hesson are aiming to improve the team’s fortunes this year.
Pakistan Squad: Salman Ali Agha (c), Babar Azam, Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Khawaja Mohammad Nafay, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Salman Mirza, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan (wk), Saim Ayub, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Afridi, Usman Khan (wk), Usman Tariq.
Pakistan are placed in Group A alongside co-hosts and defending champions India, Netherlands, the United States, and Namibia. The team will open their campaign against the Netherlands on February 7 in Colombo, followed by matches against the USA on February 10, India on February 15, and Namibia on February 18.