The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) named the 18-man squad for the crucial England and Ireland tours ahead of the T20I World Cup 2024 on Thursday.
PCB announces 18-player squad for England and Ireland
As captain, Babar Azam leads Abrar Ahmed, Azam Khan, Haris Rauf, Salman Ali Agha, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Usman Khan, Shaheen Afridi, and others.
The Green Shirts will play Ireland in a three-match T20I series from May 10 to 14, then England for a four-match series starting May 22.
The national team’s tours are crucial to preparing for the T20I World Cup 2024 in June in the US and West Indies. After the first T20I against England on May 22, the PCB will restrict the squad to 15 players for the mega-event to satisfy the ICC’s May 24 team announcement date.
The PCB said pacer Rauf and Azam have returned to the national team after missing the New Zealand series due to ailments. After resting in two matches against the Black Caps, wicket-keeper Mohammad Rizwan and middle-order batter Muhammad Irfan have been picked in the team.
On Tuesday afternoon, the four cricketers’ fitness examinations at the National Cricket Academy showed remarkable improvement. The board stated this improvement has reassured the PCB Medical Panel and team management about their availability during the seven T20Is.
The PCB claimed Hasan Ali’s selection was because to his significant experience, having played 50 T20Is and excelled in bilateral series and ICC competitions. Fast bowler Zaman Khan and spinner Usama Mir, who played against the Kiwis, were not selected.
We know Usama and Zaman will be upset […] They are talented cricketers with long careers. The PCB’s press release quoted the selection committee as saying they must focus on cricket to be accessible if needed.
The national team will leave for Dublin, Ireland on May 7 after a three-day training camp in Lahore from May 4 to 6.
