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Mickey Arthur names six spinners in mix for 2023 World Cup

Arthur expressed his satisfaction with Pakistan's spin bowling department and highlighted the talent and potential of six spinners who could make a significant impact in the tournament

Mickey Arthur names six spinners in mix for 2023 World Cup PHOTO: AFP

Pakistan team director, Mickey Arthur, has named an impressive pool of spinners for the upcoming 2023 World Cup scheduled in India later this year. 

In a recent interview to a local YouTube channel, Arthur expressed his satisfaction with the healthy state of Pakistan's spin bowling department and highlighted the talent and potential of six spinners who could make a significant impact in the tournament.

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Among the standout bowlers mentioned by the national team director is Shadab Khan, who has consistently showcased his skills and effectiveness as a spinner, making him a key asset for Pakistan's campaign in the aforementioned tournament. 

"The spin bowling department in Pakistan is really healthy, its up to us now to get a little bit more of experience into those players but it is, but once you look at Shadab Khan, he's a very very good international bowler, Mohammad Nawaz has developed into a very very good international bowler, depending on our selections going forward, you have got Imad Wasim who is slightly different, you have got Abrar Ahmed who can do something different," he said.

"Within our squad, we have the ability to bowl offspin potentially with Salman Agha and Iftikhar Ahmed, so I believe we cover all bases there and you know our spin bowling department certainly led by Shadab Khan is good enough to win us games in cricket," he added.

Surprisingly, Arthur didn’t mention Usama Mir among the notable spinners, despite his impressive performance in the recent series against New Zealand and his exceptional display in the ongoing Vitality Blast 2023, where he has taken 17 wickets in 10 matches, maintaining an economy rate of 7.52.

The fixtures list for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 in India has been released along with the 10 venues for the mega event that will span across 46 days later this year.

The much-anticipated India-Pakistan clash is scheduled for Sunday October 15 in Ahmedabad. Their last encounter in the 2019 World Cup was a high-scoring affair with India achieving a huge victory in Manchester.

Pakistan’s World Cup schedule:

  • Pakistan vs Qualifier 1, Oct 6, Hyderabad
  • Pakistan vs Qualifier 2, Oct 12, Hyderabad
  • Pakistan vs India, Oct 15, Ahmedabad
  • Pakistan vs Australia, Oct 20, Bengaluru
  • Pakistan vs Afghanistan, Oct 23, Chennai
  • Pakistan vs South Africa, Oct 27, Chennai
  • Pakistan vs Bangladesh, Oct 31, Kolkata
  • Pakistan vs New Zealand, Nov 4, Bengaluru
  • Pakistan vs England, Nov 12, Kolkata