The 18-member Pakistan squad will be trimmed to 15 players following the first T20I in Leeds on May 22, in adherence to the ICC's May 24 deadline
02 May, 2024
PHOTO: PCB
Wahab Riaz, a member of the Pakistan selection committee, unveiled the rationale behind the decisions to recall Hasan Ali while dropping Usama Mir for the upcoming T20I series against Ireland and England.
The 18-member squad was announced for these fixtures, which precede the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024. The squad will be trimmed to 15 players following the first T20I in Leeds on May 22, in adherence to the ICC's May 24 deadline.
Explaining the inclusion of Hasan Ali, Wahab noted that Hasan had already been part of their plans for the T20 World Cup, as he had been engaged in county cricket under contract.
“We are hoping that Haris Rauf will be available till England series. That is why we have delayed announcing the World Cup squad as we want to check fitness of one or two players,” Wahab said.
"Hasan Ali was already in our plans for T20 World Cup. He was playing county cricket as he was under contract. He is a backup of Haris Rauf and we have told that to Hasan Ali. If Haris gets fit before England series than he will be our first choice. If we feel Haris Rauf is not match fit then Hasan Ali will replace him,” Wahab added.
Regarding the spin department, Selector Abdul Razzaq emphasized the need for diversity in the bowling attack.
“We already have Shadab and we don’t want to have similar type of bowlers. That is why we have selected Abrar Ahmed over Usama Mir. So now we have Shadab and a mystery spinner in Abrar,” Razzaq. said.
Ireland vs Pakistan T20I series:
England vs Pakistan T20I series:
