Pakistan T20 World Cup 2022 Squad: Who Gets In & Who Goes Out?

  

 The Asia Cup 2022 came and went by, giving us plenty of memories to cherish and some to look back with regret. Now another challenge is approaching, that is of the T20 World Cup, taking place in Australia this year, starting from October. It’ll be a massive opportunity for the Pakistan Cricket Team to show their strength and win the trophy they narrowly lost last year. With the Asia Cup performance generally a good one, Babar Azam’s side will be entering the tournament as one of the favorites but will have to make minor adjustments to the squad in order to avoid another ‘so close, yet so far’ moment. Having said that, the deadline to announce preliminary squad for the competition is 15th September 2022, while changes can be made to it all the way till 9th October 2022. So here it is, in my opinion, the team that should be announced by the first deadline. 

1) Babar Azam

Babar Azam is the poster boy of Pakistan Cricket Team right now. However, he has had a nightmare of a tournament in Asia Cup 2022 and question marks have been raised on his captaincy. But we trust Babar to regain his form prior to the T20 World Cup and lead the green machines into the World Cup. The recent Asia Cup final vs Sri Lanka does highlight where the weaknesses persist in his leadership, but let’s not forget some of the smart decisions he has taken this tournament for e.g., sending Nawaz at 4 vs India or introducing spinners early in the same game when pacers were being hit everywhere. There’s surely a good captain in him, and we hope he improves on his mistakes.

2) Mohammad Rizwan

Mohammad Rizwan is the heartbeat of this side. The diminutive wicketkeeper-batter is full of energy from the first ball of the game to the last one. Not only is he the no.1 ranked T20I batter in the world, but also one of the most agile & best wicketkeepers in the world as of right now. A core part of the T20I side, but questions still get raised on his Strike Rate. With Babar struggling in the Asia Cup, Rizwan had to rely on building partnerships with Fakhar Zaman, Iftikhar Ahmed & Mohammad Nawaz. Whilst batting with Mohammad Nawaz, Rizwan didn’t let his SR drop much, it was a different story batting alongside Fakhar/Iftikhar. It could be down to inability of Fakhar/Iftikhar to be as agile as Rizwan between the wickets, and thus, the drop in the Strike Rate of Rizwan.

3) Shan Masood

Shan Masood is my first “non-Asia Cup squad” inclusion for the World Cup side. The Kuwait-born left-hand batter, who was mainly considered a test match player 3 years ago, has since been performing very well in T20 format, whether it be for Multan Sultans or Derbyshire County Cricket Club. The 32-year-old is yet to make his T20I debut, but with the national team calling for a batter to bat at no.3 where Fakhar has been constantly struggling, Shan Masood has a solid case of his own.

4) Haider Ali

Haider Ali burst onto the scene in the 2020 edition of PSL and earned a call up to the national side for the T20I series against England where he smashed a 54 off 33 balls on his debut. However, since then he has been part of multiple experiments when at times he has been sent to open as an aggressive opener or been asked to bat as low as 6th in some games. His best performances have come batting at 3 or 4 in T20s, and now that Pakistan needs a technically sound batter in the middle order, the Attock-born batter might be the answer, and should get priority over Shoaib Malik. 

5) Asif Ali

Asif Ali is not your typical batter. He has a specific style of playing and he’ll play that way regardless of the situation around him. And when I talk about it, it seems like a red flag, but interestingly not in this case. That’s because Asif has a rare talent of smashing sixes long & hard from the very first ball. When you play such a way, there’s a high risk of failing, and that’s what happens with Asif Ali too which draws a lot of criticism. But in T20 cricket, cameos like that of Asif are becoming increasingly important and that’s what helps Asif keep his place in the side.

6) Khushdil Shah

Khushdil Shah rose to the scene through his PSL performances for Multan Sultans. In the domestic circuit he is often admired as one of the best finishers of the game, and in the PSL edition 2022, he came up as a handy all-rounder too, chipping wickets with his left arm spin. A SR of only 110 in T20Is is particularly not impressive for a player whose job is to hit it hard, but you have to ask yourself if it is plausible to judge a player who has only been able to bat for 15+ deliveries in only 7 out of his 19 games, mostly due to the situation around him. Also, with Mohammad Nawaz being the only left arm spinner in the squad, having Khushdil alongside provides some extra bowling options. Alternatively, Imad Wasim could have also been in contention for this place, but Khushdil’s batting gets him the priority.

7) Iftikhar Ahmed

Iftikhar Ahmed had a woeful Asia Cup 2022. He got his chances well, but he always played extra cautiously, often reminding fans of the PTSD-triggering Misbah-ul-Haq innings in Mohali, 2011. But Iftikhar has an impressive record in Australia (avg of 58 with SR of 133.67 across 3 T20Is) which came playing down the order at 5, 6 & 7. He has the built and power to hit it out of the park at will, however, relying on him as a middle order batter is the mistake Pakistan committed in the Asia Cup, which should not be committed again.

8) Mohammad Nawaz

Mohammad Nawaz announced himself to the world that not only is he a good left arm spinner, but also a fine batter who can play up the order if needed. Unlike Imad Wasim, Nawaz is capable of bowling out the overs in the middle and boosts a miserly economy of 7.38 only in T20 cricket. His flexibility as a batter as well as a bowler, plus the fact that he’s currently in-form makes him a must-have player for Pakistan.

9) Shadab Khan

Shadab Khan is the vice-captain of the Pakistan Cricket Team and one of the core members of the squad. At just 23 years of age, the future looks bright for Shadab, who is more than just a teenage leg spin sensation from when he first broke into the team. He has had his ups & downs and now seems to have grown into the player that he was expected to become when he made his debut. An excellent leg spinner and a handy batsman, he’s one who’ll look to make full use of the tournament to announce himself to the world.

10) Faheem Ashraf

Yes, I know this pick will raise some eyebrows. After all, Faheem Ashraf is neither amazing with the bat or destructive with the bowl. Yet, in my opinion he goes into the T20 World Cup squad of 15. He gives the team an option to add an extra pacer in the side without compromising the depth in batting. Moreover, his inclusion is also based on the way he bats. Historically, Pakistani batters are vulnerable batting against short balls, which they are expected to face a lot in Australian conditions. On the other hand, Faheem is excellent against short balls, and pulls the ball well. So, with that being said, Faheem will be an interesting choice to consider.

11) Haris Rauf

Haris Rauf was presented with the opportunity to lead the young pace attack of Pakistan in absence of Shaheen Shah Afridi, and he did it very well. He’s one of the quickest bowlers in world cricket right now and he’s on a rise. More importantly, now he knows how to use his pace well enough to maximize its effectiveness. Also, the experience of bowling in Australian conditions is already there from his BBL days. Surely one to watch.

12) Shaheen Shah Afridi

They cannot play him, and that will continue if Shaheen Shah Afridi continues to bowl the way he used to after the injury. The ACL injury was surely a big setback in the life of young Shaheen who had a monumental T20 World Cup campaign in 2021. Now, the whole nation is praying to watch the talented 22-year-old left arm pacer back in national team before the World Cup begins, as the expectations from him are bigger than ever before.

13) Naseem Shah

Naseem Shah finally made his T20I debut in Asia Cup 2022, roughly 3 years after his Test debut vs Australia. The young guy has faced a life full of hardships, but that has carved out a fighter in him, a fighter who gives his 100% in every situation he faces, may that be bowling with cramps against India, or snatching victory from the jaws of defeat against Afghanistan. The prospect of having the two ‘Shahs’ opening the bowling is surely tantalizing for Pakistan cricket fans.

14) Mohammad Hasnain

Mohammad Hasnain found his breakthrough in BBL 2021. But the run of good form was cut short by allegations of illegal bowling action. Young Hasnain worked on his bowling action, got cleared by ICC and then made a comeback again in BBL. His performances earned a call up to national side in the absence of Shaheen Shah Afridi, and Hasnain hasn’t looked back since. He’s still raw and gets considered an easy target by the opposition batters, but he’s surely up for the task in Australia.

15) Shahnawaz Dahani

Shahnawaz Dahani is another pacer from the land of fast bowlers. Again, a product of PSL, the young man from Larkana has found his way through with performances that are full of energy. He’s surely one to watch & could be a handy option with the ball on the bouncy tracks of Australia. Moreover, with Hasan Ali struggling, Dahani could be the guy to call upon when needed.

S1) Abdullah Shafique

Abdullah Shafique is the first choice for reserves. He’s a talented batter with a very good technique. Something that Pakistan requires in the middle order. However, his lack of experience goes against him. Should get the chance to play against England & in New Zealand. Based on performances, his place in the squad should be decided. Alternatively, you can persist with Fakhar Zaman.

S2) Mohammad Wasim Jr.

Mohammad Wasim Jr. misses out of the 15-man squad for the World Cup, but he makes it as one of the standby players. The competition for places among fast bowlers is high, and Wasim was just unlucky to miss out the Asia Cup due to side strain. Still, there’s hope for the young quickie who can also bat lower down the order and smack a few hits.

S3) Mohammad Haris

Mohammad Haris is the standout name among young wicket keepers in Pakistan alongside Azam Khan. However, Haris gets the edge over Azam because of his ability to play as an opener, and also not being a liability as a fielder. It’s hard to expect him to play a game unless there’s any unfortunate injury to Mohammad Rizwan. That’s why he’s among the 4 standby players in the squad.

S4) Usman Qadir

Usman Qadir almost bid farewell to Pakistan Cricket, having moved to Australia and even represented Australia A. However, his father’s demise brought him back to Pakistan, and now he’s in contention to play the T20 World Cup in Australia. Lack of performances & Shadab’s excellent form means Usman can only find his place among the 4 standby players.

 

An overview of the Squad: