The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced its team for the ICC T20 World Cup 2021. Apart from the 15-member team, Pakistan has also selected three reserve players in view of the corona virus epidemic, but Shoaib Malik is not a part of this team. Babar Azam will be the captain of the Pakistan team in the T20 World Cup, while Shadab Khan has been selected by the Pakistan Cricket Board as the vice-captain.
Reports had surfaced that Pakistan team captain Babar Azam wants veteran all-rounder Shoaib Malik in the team, but the selectors have not selected him for the T20 World Cup. However, another veteran all-rounder Mohammad Hafeez has been selected in this team. Shoaib Malik and Hafeez had already announced that they are going to retire after the T20 World Cup 2021, but now it looks like Malik may retire soon.
Let us tell you, this will be the first time that Pakistan team will play T20 World Cup without Shoaib Malik. Shoaib Malik has been a part of Pakistan’s team every time in this tournament which started from the year 2007, but now in this new decade he has not been selected in the team. Even in the ODI World Cup 2019 played in England, he could play less.
No name is surprising in Pakistan’s 15-man squad selected by the selectors for the T20 World Cup 2021. However, there are some players who do not yet have that much experience in international cricket, but the selectors have reposed their trust in them, including names like Azam Khan, Mohammad Wasim Jr and Usman Qadir, who have played a dozen T20Is so far. Haven’t played international matches.
Pakistan team for T20 World Cup 2021:
Babar Azam (capt), Shadab Khan (vice-captain), Imad Wasim, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Wasim Jr., Asif Ali, Mohammad Hafeez, Shaheen Afrid, Azam Khan, Mohammad Hasnain, Sohaib Maqsood, Haris Rauf, Mohd. Nawaz and Hassan Ali.
Reserve players: Fakhar Zaman, Shahnawaz Dahni and Usman Qadir
