PCB announce squad for World Cup 2019
Lahore:The selection committee’s head Inzamam-ul-Haq on Thursday announced 17-member squad for the upcoming World Cup and series against England.
Sarfraz Ahmed will lead the squad while other team members include Imam-ul-Haq, Fakhar Zaman, Abid Ali, Mohammad Hafeez, Shoaib Malik, Babar Azam, Haris Sohail, Imad Wasim, Shadab Khan, Junaid Khan, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Faheem Ashraf, Mohammad Husnain.
Left-arm pacer Mohammad Amir and right-handed hard-hitting batsman Asif Ali will tour to the UK for the series against England as reserved players.
Inzamam is optimistic that the selected squad will show their strength in a much-anticipated cricketing event. “We have tried to pick the three-dimensional side which will easily adjust into the conditions,” the former cricketer said while speaking to the media after announcing the squad.
“We have experienced batters, who are backed up by bowlers with plenty of variety and variation to exploit any type of conditions,” Inzamam added.
The selection committee’s head said that the inclusion of Mohammad Hafeez will depend on his fitness and he hopes that the all-rounder will be able to take part in the mega event. “Hafeez is a strong asset for us and we are looking forward to his availability,” he said.
It is pertinent to mention here that according to the International Cricket Council (ICC)’s rules, the team can make changes to their World Cup squads before or by May 23.
Pakistan will face off England in a preparatory five-match ODI series and a T20I ahead of the multi-nation cricketing event.
The mega event is slated to start from May 30 to July 16 in England and Wales, while the high-anticipated match of the event between arch-rivals India and Pakistan is scheduled on June 16.