Pakistan have submitted their provisional 15-member squad for the upcoming World T20 Cup to the International Cricket Council (ICC) but have not yet made the list public, a reliable source said.
January 1 was the deadline set by the ICC for all participating teams to submit their provisional squads, and the Pakistan Cricket Board completed the formalities within the stipulated timeframe, the source said. Not all teams have announced their provisional squads so far.
Under ICC regulations, teams are allowed to make changes to their provisional squads until January 31 without requiring approval. Any changes after that date will need clearance from the ICC’s tournament technical committee.
According to the source, Pakistan’s provisional squad features injured fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi, former captain Babar Azam and all-rounder Shadab Khan, who has not played international cricket since May last year due to a shoulder injury.
Shadab made his return to competitive cricket in the Big Bash League late last month and has been included in Pakistan’s squad for the three-match T20I series against Sri Lanka, which begins on January 7.
The selectors have largely chosen players who are part of the Sri Lanka tour, with the final World Cup squad expected to be finalised after the series, the source said.
Fast bowler Haris Rauf has not been included even in the provisional squad, while Shaheen’s final selection will depend on his recovery from a knee injury sustained during the Big Bash League last week.
Other players named in the provisional squad include mystery spinners Usman Tariq and Abrar Ahmed, all-rounders Faheem Ashraf and Mohammad Nawaz, along with Saim Ayub, Sahibzada Farhan, Fakhar Zaman, Naseem Shah, Usman Khan, Mohammad Wasim Jr and Salman Ali Agha.
