Cricket World Cup 2023: Pakistan team preview | Squad | fixtures | key players

Cricket World Cup 2023: Pakistan is one of the most unpredictable and exciting teams in the world of cricket. They have a rich history of producing some of the finest players and winning some of the most memorable matches in the game. They have also won the World Cup once, in 1992, under the inspirational leadership of Imran Khan. However, they have also faced many challenges and controversies over the years, such as match-fixing scandals, political turmoil, and security issues.

Pakistan will enter the Cricket World Cup 2023 as one of the semi-final contenders, having been ranked No.1 in the ICC ODI rankings as recently as a couple of weeks ago. However, they have also suffered some setbacks, such as losing the Asia Cup 2023 to India, and losing their star fast bowler Naseem Shah to a shoulder injury. They will have to overcome these hurdles and perform consistently to achieve their dream of lifting the trophy for the second time.

Pakistan team squad for Cricket World Cup 2023

Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Fakhar Zaman, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Imam-Ul-Haq, Abdullah Shafique, Agha Salman, Saul Shakeel, Shadab Khan, Hasan Ali, Usama Mir, Mohammad Nawaz, Iftikhar Ahmed, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Mohammad Haris, Abrar Ahmed, Zaman Khan

Pakistan announced their 15-member squad for the cricket World Cup 2023 on September 30, 2023. The squad is led by Babar Azam, who is widely regarded as one of the best batsmen in the world. He is also the first Pakistani captain to score a century in a World Cup match, which he did against New Zealand in 2019. He will be supported by Fakhar Zaman and Imam-ul-Haq, who form a formidable opening pair, and Mohammad Rizwan, who is one of the most consistent wicketkeeper-batsmen in ODI cricket.

The squad also features some young and talented players, such as Abdullah Shafique, Saud Shakeel, Iftikhar Ahmed, and Mohammad Wasim Jr. Shafique is a stylish right-handed batsman who can bat at any position in the order. Shakeel is a left-handed batsman who can also bowl left-arm orthodox spin. Iftikhar is a hard-hitting all-rounder who can also bowl off-spin. Wasim is a fast-bowling all-rounder who can also bat lower down the order.

Also Read: ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 Schedule: Venue, Date and Time

The squad also includes some experienced and reliable players, such as Shadab Khan, Hasan Ali, Usama Mir, and Mohammad Nawaz. Shadab is a leg-spinning all-rounder who is also the vice-captain of the team. Hasan is a right-arm fast bowler who was the joint-highest wicket-taker in the 2017 Champions Trophy, which Pakistan won. Usama is a left-arm wrist-spinner who can also bat well. Nawaz is a left-arm spinning all-rounder who can also open the batting.

The squad also has some surprise inclusions and exclusions, such as Salman Ali Agha, Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, and Mohammad Haris. Agha is a right-handed batsman who can also bowl medium pace. He was selected ahead of more established players like Asif Ali and Khushdil Shah. Afridi is a left-arm fast bowler who is one of the most promising young talents in world cricket. He was selected despite being injured and doubtful for the tournament.

Rauf is a right-arm fast bowler who has been impressive in T20 cricket but has played only five ODIs so far. He was selected ahead of more experienced players like Wahab Riaz and Junaid Khan. Haris is a wicketkeeper-batsman who has not played any international cricket yet. He was selected as a backup for Rizwan.

Pakistan Full Match List for Cricket World Cup 2023