Seasoned fast bowler Haris Rauf, coming back from an injury setback, has been included in Pakistan's 15-member squad for the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup, to be led by sensational batter Babar Azam. The event takes place in the Americas between June 2 and July 9.
Rauf, who had suffered a shoulder injury during the PSL in February, last played for his country in January this year. His inclusion is a welcome development for Pakistan, who finished as runners-up in last year's edition of the tournament.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) confirmed that Rauf has regained full fitness, saying, “Haris Rauf is fully fit and bowling well in the nets." Although he will miss the opportunity to feature at Headingley, the PCB is confident Rauf will do well in the remaining matches, adding that he remains pivotal to their campaign alongside other major bowlers in the T20 World Cup.
The other debutants to make the squad are Abrar Ahmed, Azam Khan, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Saim Ayub, and Usman Khan. The surprise exclusion is pacer Hasan Ali, who has been dropped to make way for Rauf.
"It would have been nice if he had gotten an outing at Headingley.
"But we remain confident that he will continue to maintain an upward trajectory in the upcoming matches, as he will have an important role to play along with other strike bowlers in the T20 World Cup," said the PCB.
The PCB praised the combination, saying it is "This is an extremely talented and balanced side that has a mixture of youth and experience. These players have been playing together for some time and look well-prepared and settled for next month’s event."
The decision to open with Saim Ayub and Muhammad Rizwan has also been made, while Babar Azam will bat at number three, though this order can be altered depending on the requirements of the game.
Interestingly, Pakistan has not named any reserves for the event, as they are busy playing their bilateral series against England as preparation.
Placed in Group A with rivals India, along with Ireland, Canada, and co-hosts USA, Pakistan kick off their campaign against the USA on June 6 in Dallas.
The Pakistan squad comprises: Babar Azam (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Azam Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Rizwan, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, and Usman Khan.
The support personnel include Wahab Riaz (senior team manager), Mansoor Rana (team manager), Gary Kirsten (head coach), Azhar Mahmood (assistant coach), Simon Helmot (fielding coach), David Reid (mental performance coach), Aftab Khan (high-performance coach), Cliffe Deacon (physiotherapist), Irtaza Komail (chief security officer), Mohammad Imran (masseur), Mohammad Khurram Sarwar (team doctor), Talha Ijaz (analyst), Raza Kitchlew (media and digital manager), and Drikus Saaiman (strength and conditioning coach).
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