After veiled boycott threat, Pakistan name 15-member squad for T20 World Cup

Lahore: Pakistan on Sunday named a 15-man squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup, effectively reversing a previous threat by board chairman Mohsin Naqvi to boycott the event in solidarity with Bangladesh.

Pakistan Cricket Board chief Naqvi had previously suggested a withdrawal from the T20 showpiece after the ICC replaced Bangladesh with Scotland following their refusal to travel to India owing to "security concerns".

Salman Ali Agha will lead the Pakistan team in the tournament, scheduled to be held in India and Sri Lanka from February 7 to March 8.

Following Bangladesh's removal, Naqvi had said that the Pakistan government would take the final decision on whether its national team would participate in the T20 World Cup. All of Pakistan's group matches will be held in Sri Lanka.

The squad was announced during a press conference addressed by the PCB's High Performance Director and member of men's national team selection committee Aqib Javed, Agha, and white-ball head coach Michael James Hesson at the Gaddafi Stadium here.

It is worth mentioning that the PCB, BCCI and ICC had entered into a tripartite agreement last year under which all India-Pakistan matches till 2027 would be played at neutral venues.

There were no major surprises in the T20 World squad with the same set of players who are to play a T20 series at home against Australia next week named in it.

Only medium pacer Mohammad Wasim junior found himself out in the cold from the squad for the Australia series starting on January 29 in Lahore.

The selectors have included two specialist spinners in the T20 World Cup squad, including Abrar Ahmed and mystery spinner Usman Tariq, who has made limited international appearances for the national side.

Besides Abrar and Usman, the squad features spin all-rounders Mohammad Nawaz, Shadab Khan and Saim Ayub.

The squad also includes hard-hitting young batsman Khawaja Nafay who has played just one T20 International in Sri Lanka earlier this month.

Among the 15 players, skipper Agha, Faheem Ashraf, Khawaja Mohammad Nafay, Mohammad Salman Mirza, Sahibzada Farhan and Usman Tariq have received their maiden mega-event call-ups to the Pakistan squad.

Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Nawaz, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shadab Khan and Usman Khan have played in at least one or more editions of the tournament since 2021.

Pakistan are placed in Group A and scheduled to face the Netherlands in their opening game on February 7 in Colombo.

Pakistan squad for T20 World Cup: Salman Ali Agha (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Khawaja Mohammad Nafay (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Salman Mirza, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan (wk), Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shadab Khan, Usman Khan (wk) and Usman Tariq.