The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), on September 22, 2023, announced the final Pakistan squad for the upcoming ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 which will be played in India from October 5 onwards. Babar Azam has been named captain. Injured Naseem Shah has been ruled and replaced by Hassan Ali.
The 29-year-old has been drafted into the squad after Naseem Shah was ruled out of the upcoming tournament after sustaining an injury in the recently-concluded Asia Cup. Naseem Shah suffered a shoulder injury during the Super 4 contest against India in the Asia Cup and was ruled out of the tournament.
Hasan has featured in 60 ODIs for Pakistan since making his debut in 2017, picking up 91 wickets at an average of 30.36. His last ODI appearance came in the home series in January 2023 against New Zealand in Karachi.
“Naseem was injured, he was our main bowler and it was unfortunate. [Mohammad] Hasnain has an ankle injury and is out injured and so is Ihsanullah. If you see how Hasan Ali performed in the LPL, or other performances, he has performed better than most. He is an experienced bowler who has played big mega events for Pakistan and performed well in them.
And when Naseem was ruled out, we needed someone who could bowl with the new ball. He bowls well with both old and new ball, and is a team man. His presence lends energy to the team,” Inzamam said in a presser.
Pakistan will play two warm-up games, against New Zealand and Australia respectively. Their tournament opener will be against Netherlands on October 5, in Hyderabad.
This Team Has Done Well In Last Couple Of Years, Hence We Have Showed Faith In Them: Inzamam Ul Haq
All-arounder Faheem Ashraf, Mohammad Haris, and Zaman Khan were not a part of the team that competed in the Asia Cup; the latter two were included as reserve players who would travel with unidentified spinner Abrar Ahmed.
Shadab Khan will serve as Babar’s stand-in for the competition in the meantime.
The team mostly follows expectations, with the four-man pace attack of Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Afridi, and Mohammad Wasim Jr. being supported by three spinners, Shadab Khan, Usama Mir, and Mohammad Nawaz.
Speaking on the squad, chief selector Inzamam-ul-Haq said, “World Cup is the most important event in any cricketer’s life and I want to congratulate all the cricketers who have made it to the squad through their impressive performances. This team has performed wonderfully well over the last couple of years and that is why we have shown faith in the same bunch.
We were forced to make one change because of an unfortunate injury to Naseem Shah. We had a few injury scares in the recent Asia Cup, but I am glad to share that all the players are fully fit and are eager to perform for their country in the all-important tournament. I have received encouraging reports from our medical panel about Haris Rauf. He has started to (shadow) bowl at the National Cricket Academy and will be available for selection.”
Their first game of the tournament is against Netherlands on October 6 in Hyderabad.
Pakistan ODI World Cup 2023 Squad: Babar Azam (c), Shadab Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Abdullah Shafique, Mohammad Rizwan, Saud Shakeel, Iftikhar Ahmed, Salman Ali Agha, Mohammad Nawaz, Usama Mir, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Afridi, Mohammad Wasim Jr.
Pakistan unveil squad for the World Cup campaign 🇵🇰💪
More details ➡️ https://t.co/hanhk17ACZ#WeHaveWeWill | #CWC23 pic.twitter.com/HY9cWDGnQn
— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) September 22, 2023
