15-player squad named for T20Is home series against New Zealand, England & T20 World Cup

LAHORE (92 News) – Selectors have named an experienced, well-balanced and formidable 15-player squad for the upcoming Twenty20 Internationals against New Zealand and England, and the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021.

The seven home T20Is in Lahore and Rawalpindi will be played from September 25 to October 14, while Pakistan will proceed to take on India in a battle of former champions in their ICC Men’s T20 World Cup opener in Dubai on October 24.

Domestic performers Asif Ali and Khushdil Shah have been drafted into the side to provide more firepower in the middle-order.

Asif played his 29th and last T20I for Pakistan against Zimbabwe earlier in April and averages 16.38 with a strike-rate of 123.74, while his overall strike-rate in T20 cricket stands at 147. Khushdil Shah’s ninth and last T20I was against South Africa in Lahore earlier this year. The left-hander averages more than 21 and holds a strike-rate of 109.24, while his overall T20 strike-rate stands at 134.

From the 19 players who were part of the Pakistan squad for the T20I series in England and the West Indies, Arshad Iqbal, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Sharjeel Khan and Usman Qadir have been left out, though Fakhar and Usman along with Shahnawaz Dahani have been named as the three traveling reserves.

The 15-player squad includes five batters (Asif Ali, Babar Azam, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Hafeez and Sohaib Maqsood), two wicketkeeper-batters (Azam Khan and Mohammad Rizwan), four all-rounders (Imad Wasim, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Wasim Jnr and Shadab Khan) and four fast bowlers (Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Mohammad Hasnain and Shaheen Shah Afridi).

15-player squad: Babar Azam (captain, Central Punjab), Shadab Khan (vice-captain, Northern), Asif Ali (Northern), Azam Khan (wicketkeeper, Southern Punjab), Haris Rauf (Northern), Hasan Ali (Central Punjab), Imad Wasim (Northern), Khushdil Shah (Southern Punjab), Mohammad Hafeez (Central Punjab), Mohammad Hasnain (Sindh), Mohammad Nawaz (Northern), Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Mohammad Wasim Jnr (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Shaheen Shah Afridi (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Sohaib Maqsood (Southern Punjab).

Traveling reserves: Fakhar Zaman (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Shahnawaz Dahani (Sindh) and Usman Qadir (Central Punjab).

Schedule of T20I matches (all matches to start at 1900 PST):

25 Sep – Pakistan v New Zealand, 1st T20I, Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore

26 Sep – Pakistan v New Zealand, 2nd T20I, Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore

29 Sep – Pakistan v New Zealand, 3rd T20I, Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore

1 Oct – Pakistan v New Zealand, 4th T20I, Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore

3 Oct – Pakistan v New Zealand, 5th T20I, Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore

13 Oct – Pakistan v England, 1st T20I, Pindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi

14 Oct – Pakistan v England, 2nd T20I, Pindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi

24 Oct – Pakistan v India, ICC T20 WC (Group 2), Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai

26 Oct – Pakistan v New Zealand, ICC T20 WC (Group 2), Sharjah Cricket Stadium, Sharjah

29 Oct – Pakistan v Afghanistan, ICC T20 WC (Group 2), Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai

2 Nov – Pakistan v A2, ICC T20 WC (Group 2), Sheikh Zayed International Cricket Stadium, Abdu Dhabi

7 Nov –Pakistan v B1, ICC T20 WC (Group 2), Sharjah Cricket Stadium, Sharjah

ICC T20 World Cup 2021 semi-final schedule:

10 Nov – 1st semifinal, Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi

11 Nov – 2nd semifinal, Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai

14 Nov – Final, Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai