Pakistan cricket team for Asia Cup 2023 and ODI series against Afghanistan has been announced, Faheem Ashraf, Tayyab Tahir and Saud Shakeel have been made part of the squad.
Pakistan Cricket Team Chief Selector Inzamam-ul-Haq has announced the 17-member squad for the Asia Cup 2023 and 18-member squad for the ODI series against Afghanistan.
Saud Shakeel has been included in the 18-man squad for the series against Afghanistan and is not included in the 17-man squad for the Asia Cup 2023.
Read Also: Asia Cup 2023 : Schedule, Time, Venue, Teams, Groups
Apart from Inzamam-ul-Haq, the national selection committee includes team director Mickey Arthur and head coach Grant Bradburn, who finalized the team after consultation with captain Babar Azam.
- Asia Cup 2023 Squad
The 17-member Pakistani squad for the Asia Cup 2023 consists of these players. - Openers: Abdullah Shafiq, Fakhr Zaman, Imamul Haque
- Middle Order: Babar Azam (captain), Salman Ali Agha, Iftikhar Ahmed, Tayyab Tahir
- Wicket keepers: Muhammad Rizwan, Muhammad Haris
- Spinners: Shadab Khan (Vice Captain), Muhammad Nawaz, Usama Mir
- Pace All Rounder: Faheem Ashraf
- Pacers: Haris Rauf, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Shah Afridi
Squad for the series against Afghanistan
Here is the 18-member squad for the series against Afghanistan.
- Openers: Abdullah Shafiq, Fakhr Zaman, Imamul Haque
- Middle Order: Babar Azam (captain), Salman Ali Agha, Iftikhar Ahmed, Tayyab Tahir and Saud Shakeel
- Wicket keepers: Muhammad Rizwan, Muhammad Haris
- Spinners: Shadab Khan (vice-captain), Muhammad Nawaz, Usama Mir
- Pace All Rounder: Faheem Ashraf
- Pacers: Haris Rauf, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Afridi
Tayyab Tahir and Faheem Ashraf were included in the team in place of Shan Masood and Ehsanullah
According to the announcement made by the Pakistan Cricket Board, the selectors have made two changes in the squad for the five-match ODI series against New Zealand in April-May this year. Tayyab Tahir and Faheem Ashraf have been included in the squad in place of Shan Masood and Ehsanullah.
Apart from them, Saud Shakeel has also been included in the squad.
Faheem Ashraf’s return after two years
According to PCB, Faheem Ashraf has returned to the team after two years. His presence as a fast bowling all-rounder will add more balance to the team. He last played in the ODI series against England in July 2021.
Tayyab Tahir was rewarded for his performance in the Emerging Asia Cup
Tayyab Tahir has been included in the ODI squad for the second time. He was earlier included in the squad for the ODI series against New Zealand in January this year.
Tayyab Tahir was the highest run-scorer in the Pakistan Cup. He recently played a key role with a century in the 128-run win over India in the ACC Emerging Asia Cup.
Shan Masood could not retain his place due to his lack of performance.
PCB says that Saud Shakeel has represented Pakistan in five ODIs. He last played an ODI against Australia in Lahore in March 2022, in which the Pakistani team won by six wickets after crossing the target of 348 runs.
Shan Masood has not been able to retain his place due to lack of performance while Ehsanullah is busy with his elbow rehab program under the supervision of PCB’s medical panel.
Asia Cup Schedule
The 50-over Asia Cup will begin on August 30 with a match between Pakistan and Nepal in Multan. This is the first time since 2008 that Pakistan is hosting a multinational event.
Gaddafi Stadium Lahore will host Bangladesh vs Afghanistan match on September 3 and Sri Lanka vs Afghanistan match on September 5 in Lahore Group B. Apart from this, the Super Four match between A1 and B2 will also be played in Lahore on September 6.
Series against Afghanistan
Before the Asia Cup, the Pakistan cricket team will play an ODI series against Afghanistan in which two matches will be played in Hambantota on August 22 and 24, while the third and final ODI will be played in Colombo on August 26.
The cricketers in Pakistan will leave for Sri Lanka on August 17. These cricketers will participate in a three-day camp at the National Cricket Academy Lahore from August 14 to 16. Cricketers participating in the Lanka Premier League and Hundred League will join the team directly in Sri Lanka on August 18.
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