Pakistan’s former captain and fast bowler Waqar Younis has named his squad of the Men in Green for the upcoming 2024 T20 World Cup which is set to start from 1st in the West Indies and the United States of America.
Waqar, who played 349 international games for the Shaheens, reflected on which players should board Pakistan’s flight for the West Indies and the USA as the players will be anticipated to play an important role in helping the Shaheens lift their second T20 World Cup trophy.
Currently playing the role of the commentator in the ongoing five match T20i series between New Zealand and Pakistan, the 52 year old was asked which players he will pick for the T20 World Cup.
“In my opinion, provided all the players are fit, the likes of Fakhar Zaman and Saim Ayub will be the openers alongisde skipper Babar Azam. Mohammad Rizwan and Usman khan should handle the middle order duties for Pakistan. Usman must go to the West Indies and the USA for the World Cup at any cost. He’s a really good player and will provide the balance and flexibility the team needs,” Waqar said.
“For the role of the backup wicket – keeper, I will pick Azam Khan. Even though he’s not playing against New Zealand currently, he should definitely be in the squad as he is a proven match winner and has performed well in the PSL. Talking about the finisher, Iftikhar Ahmed is an automatic choice for that role as currently there’s no other better finisher than him in the country,” he added.
“In terms of the spinners, Shadab Khan is an automatic pick and the duo of Imad Wasim and Usama mir will be the other spinners. I feel that our team will need a mystery spinner as well and Abrar Ahmed can play that role perfectly. He has performed well in the series against New Zealand and he will provide a lot of variety to captain Babar in the World Cup.”
“Lastly, I will pick four fast bowlers for our team and they include Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf and Mohammad Amir. Shaheen will lead the bowling attack and with the return of Amir, this pace bowling attack will be one of the most feared bowling attacks in the entire tournament,” he concluded.
Pakistan’s Squad for the 2024 T20 World Cup predicted by Waqar Younis
Saim Ayub, Babar Azam (Captain), Fakhar Zaman, Usman Khan, Mohammad Rizwan (WK), Iftikhar Ahmed, Azam Khan (WK), Imad Wasim, Shadab Khan, Usama Mir, Abrar Ahmed, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf and Mohammad Amir.
Pakistan is a part of Group A alongside India, Canada, United States and Ireland. The most awaited clash of this year Pakistan vs India will be played on the 9th of June at New York’s Nassau County International Cricket Stadium.
2024 T20 World Cup Groups
Group A: India, Ireland, Canada, Pakistan and the United States of America (co – hosts)
Group B: England, Namibia, Scotland, Australia and Oman.
Group C: New Zealand, Afghanistan, Uganda, West Indies (co-hosts) and Papua New Guinea.
Group D: South Africa, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Netherlands.
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