Pakistan Squad – 2024 T20 World Cup
The PCB has announced Pakistan’s squad for the 2024 T20 World Cup. Shaheen Shah Afridi will lead the team in the tournament that is starting on 1 June 2024. Along with Pakistan, 19 other teams from across the world are going to participate in this highly anticipated tournament. T20 is the new thing now, and the broadcasters are also spending more on it. But do you know who are the real OGs of this format? Yes, the Pakistan team has been the king of T20 cricket even before it was a thing.
Check: ICC T20 World Cup 2024 schedule
Do you want to see the team that will carry on this tradition in the latest edition of the T20 World Cup? Continue reading then. We will discuss the team’s strengths, weaknesses, past performances, as well as their schedule for this campaign.
Pakistan’s Squad for the T20 World Cup
| Player | Role |
|---|---|
| Shaheen Afridi | Fast bowler |
| Aamer Jamal | Allrounder |
| Abbas Afridi | Fast bowler |
| Abrar Ahmad | Offspinner |
| Shadab Khan | Bowling allrounder |
| Mohammad Haris | Wicketkeeper Batsman |
| Azam Khan | Wicketkeeper Batsman |
| Fakhar Zaman | Batsman |
| Babar Azam | Batsman |
| Haris Rauf | Fast bowler |
| Haseebullah | Wicketkeeper Batsman |
| Iftikhar Ahmad | Allrounder |
| Mohammad Nawaz | Allrounder |
| Mohammad Rizwan | Wicketkeeper Batsman |
| Mohammad Wasim | Fast bowler |
| Sahibzada Farhan | Batsman |
| Saim Ayub | Batsman |
| Usama Mir | Legspinner |
| Zaman Khan | Fast bowler |
| Naseem Shah | Fast Bowler |
| Ihsanullah | Fast bowler |
These are the players who will charge in with all they have and play to make Pakistan the T20 champion for the second time. Previously, Pakistan has played the finals 3 times, out of which, they managed to win the 2009 ICC T20 World Cup.
Shaheen will lead these players. Even if Shaheen’s first series as a captain wasn’t that great, he is eyeing for the World Cup. His portfolio as a captain isn’t anything to scoff at. Shaheen has led Lahore Qalandars to two consecutive PSL titles.
Check: 2024 ICC T20 World Cup Venues [Announced]
Let’s see the key players for Pakistan in this campaign, and what are the weaknesses that the green shirts have to work on.
Who are the Key players?
So, who are the key players that will help Pakistan win these matches?
Babar Azam
Of course, there is no list where we won’t see Babar’s name. He has established himself as one of the modern greats in the game right now. For Pakistan, Babar is nothing short of a blessing. He came, he played, he ruled.
Babar’s track record in the T20 format is phenomenal. He has played 273 T20 matches, scored almost 9600 runs, and averages 43 at a strike rate of 129. He is the top-order batsman that Pakistan will rely on a lot.
Mohammad Rizwan
In the opening, Pakistan will have Mohammad Rizwan. Rizwan had a rocky start on the international stage. However, he has emerged as the backbone of Pakistan’s batting attack. With Rizwan at the helm, Pakistan has chased targets it didn’t even think of chasing.
Rizwan has played 243 T20s so far, scoring 7129 runs at an average of 44 and a strike rate of 127. His average in the international T20s; however, is 48.
Shaheen Afridi
Let’s talk about the skipper. As a player, Shaheen was the answer to Pakistan’s pace bowling woes. Since the 2010 fiasco, the Green Shirts have been looking for a quality pace bowler, and here he is. Shaheen’s ability to vary his pace and those inswinging deliveries in the first over makes him the most lethal bowler we have.
So far, he has played 168 T20s and has taken 238 wickets with an economy rate of 7.86.
Haris Rauf
The Rauf-taar is one of the fastest bowlers we have. You can say that Rauf is a death-overs bowling specialist. If you look at his control with the new ball, it is pathetic. However, he is equally lethal when the ball gets old and he is bowling to a batsman who is looking to hit the ball out of the park.
He has played 184 T20 matches, and taken 247 wickets at an economy rate of 8.24.
Saim Ayub
He is one of the rising stars of Pakistan cricket and one of the best opening batsmen we will have in this World Cup. Saim might not have that much experience. However, he has shown his potential in T20 cricket. With him, Pakistan’s run rate problem in the powerplays is solved.
Abbas Afridi
Abbas Afridi is another rising star in Pakistan cricket. He has the potential to take those wickets. Abbas is a strike bowler through and through. He was the leading wicket-taker in the PSL 8 and an interesting prospect in his debut against the Kiwis. He will take those wickets on the West Indies and USA pitches.
Zaman Khan
Zaman Khan is a specialist death-over bowler. He defended those final overs in the PSL finals. This shows his level of control and calmness. Zaman, along with Haris Rauf, is a lethal option to have for Shaheen.
Weaknesses – Things to look out for
Let’s talk about Pakistan’s weaknesses in this World Cup.
Top-order
Our top order hasn’t been performing well since the Asia Cup 2023. The lack of runs in the powerplay, and quick wickets early on is hurting us. Saim has the potential to fill this gap along with Rizwan. However, Pakistan has to prepare him for the difficult task of this tournament.
Bowler’s economy rate
Our bowling used to be the best. However, the injuries have rendered the bowlers ineffective. Shaheen has lost his pace, Haris isn’t effective anymore, Naseem has to find his mojo again, and Abrar is a cesspool of injuries. All of these problems have affected the bowler’s economy rate. You can tolerate that in the longer formats. However, it is a mistake you cannot forgive in this format of the game.
Fielding mistakes
Fitness issues have caused mistakes in this area. Pakistan’s young players were becoming better and better at fielding. The catches and saved runs helped Pakistan win a lot of matches. However, the dropped catches are hurting us again.
Batter’s strike rate
Our key batsmen aren’t playing fast enough. However, Ramiz Raja has called out fans for this. He claims Pakistan doesn’t have enough options to pick and choose from. We can either ask our established players to play outside their comfort zone, or we have to groom players like Azam, Shadab, and Saim to take charge and score those quick runs while Babar or Rizwan play the anchor role on the other side.
Pakistan team’s schedule for the 2024 T20 World Cup
Here is Pakistan’s schedule for the T20 World Cup this year.
| Date and time (IST) | Opposition | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| June 6 9:30 PM | USA | Grand Prairie Stadium, Dallas |
| June 9 8:30 PM | India | Citi Field, New York |
| June 11 8:30 PM | Canada | Citi Field, New York |
| June 16 8:30 PM | Ireland | Central Broward Regional Park Stadium Turf Ground, Lauderhill |
Conclusion
Pakistan is one of the best T20 teams in the world right now. Even if there are certain areas where they can improve, you cannot rule out this team. Pakistan has played 3 T20 World Cup finals and has won the 2009 one. However, this world cup is going to be an arduous task. They are building a new team. The once-young players are at the helm for the first time, and they have to prove that they have what it takes to be the best. Are you ready to see this squad in the tournament starting on 1 June? If you are, hit the notification bell so that you never miss any updates from CricketWorlds.
