Sports

Pak vs Eng: Injuries, poor performance make selection tough for PCB

Published

2 years ago

Farwa

Double whammy for Pakistan selectors.
Selectors hold meetings ahead of team announcement for England series.
Sarfaraz Ahmed may get a chance if Mohammad Rizwan is rested.

The national selection committee is facing a tough time in announcing the team for the England series and the T20 World Cup in Australia amid multiple fitness issues and poor performance in the recently concluded Asia Cup 2022.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is supposed to finalise the squad for the seven-match series in a couple of days while the world cup cut-off date for team submission is September 15.

According to a report by The News, chief selector Mohammad Wasim, captain Babar Azam and head coach Saqlain Mushtaq held a meeting on Tuesday and are expected to meet again over the next two days to decide on the formation of the team for the upcoming international outings.

It is unlikely that Pakistan will go on to meet the deadline set forth by the International Cricket Council (ICC) to name the team for the World Cup and might request an extension.

“We have not yet requested the ICC for any extension in deadline but that is possible if the selectors desire so. There have been traditions where the ICC in some cases has given extra time to a member country to submit names for important events. I think the situation would get clear within the next two days,” a source within the board said.

Who is fit, who isn’t

Besides Shaheen Shah Afridi who is undergoing rehab in London, the national selectors are not sure at this point whether all the players who represented Pakistan in the Asia Cup are fully fit to take on England.

“The injury to Mohammad Rizwan, Shadab Khan and Shahnawaz Dahani is a real concern. Selectors are waiting for the expert opinion on cricketers’ injury status before finalising the team for the England series, a source confided to the publication.

About Afridi, the source added, he would not be in a position to play the first five matches against England and depending on his fitness status he may be selected to play at least one of the matches before heading to New Zealand for the tri-series.

Sarfaraz Ahmad likely to make the cut

Wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan, who played the last two Asia Cup matches with knee problems, is also likely to be rested at least for the first half of the series against England.

Shadab’s injury status is also not clear yet. However, all these injured players have time at their disposal to get fit and ready before the team departs for New Zealand in the first week of October.

One of the tricky questions selectors face at present is the selection of an extra wicketkeeper with the squad to Down Under.

In case the selectors go in favour of a second wicket-keeper for the T20 World Cup, it is likely that he would be given a chance against England.

Chances are there that Sarfaraz Ahmed may be asked to keep wickets against England at least for the first half of the England series. In that case we may well see the reserve wicket-keeper travelling with the team to Down Under.

Extra player in World Cup squad

“Option of including one extra player in the T20 World Cup squad on all expenses paid by the ‘PCB’ is also under consideration,” the sources said.

“Apart from a 15-member squad, one of two extra players may be included in the team for the tri-series and later for the World Cup. However, these players would only participate in the World Cup, if some genuine injury problems erupt in between. Chances, however, are there that a reserve wicketkeeper may be included in the 15-member World Cup team, at the expense of a genuine batter.”

Latest News

Pakistan releases their England against Ireland team, and Hasan Ali is back.

Published

3 days ago

Farwa

The men in green will play a three-match series against Ireland before taking on England in a four-match series.

The 18-player roster now includes Salman Ali Agha, Hasan Ali, and Haris Rauf, who were all reinstated by the national selection committee.

Turn off the silence
Zaman Khan and Usama Mir, meanwhile, were left off the final roster.

Continue reading: Ramiz Raja selects Pakistan’s starting combination for the 2024 T20 World Cup

After the first Twenty20 International at Leeds on May 22, the team will be whittled down to 15 players for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 next month in order to meet the ICC’s deadline of May 24.

Pakistan squad for Ireland and England series:

Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Saim Ayub, Fakhar Zaman, Irfan Khan Niazi, Iftikhar Ahmad, Usman Khan, Azam Khan (wk), Shadab Khan, Imad Wasim, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Mohammad Amir, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf, Abbas Afridi, Abrar Ahmed, Hasan Ali, Salman Ali Agha.

Ireland vs Pakistan T20I series:

10 May: First T20I in Dublin (7pm PST)

12 May: Second T20I in Dublin (7pm PST)

14 May: Third T20I in Dublin (7pm PST)

England vs Pakistan T20I series:

May 22: First T20I in Leeds (10:30pm PST)

May 25: Second T20I in Birmingham (6:30pm PST)

May 28: Third T20I in Cardiff (10:30pm PST)

May 30: Fourth T20I at The Oval, London (10:30pm PST)

Latest News

Gary Kirsten hopes to provide players with “clarity” prior to the Twenty20 World Cup.

Published

5 days ago

Farwa

When Kirsten featured on the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) podcast, she acknowledged the difficulty of making quick adjustments but expressed optimism that the squad could establish a structure over the next three weeks, giving the players plenty of time to prepare for the World Cup.

He added that they have been communicating as a squad and praised Azhar Mahmood for his outstanding work as the “interim head coach.”

“I happen to be working on an assignment right now. Moving away was therefore challenging. I need to look over my contract right now.

But the arrangements are set in motion. In his role as acting head coach, Azhar Mahmood is performing admirably. Right now, we’re speaking with each other. I’m learning about the squad and their style of play.

It’s lovely to see them play. I have to be in the room, but I have to keep my distance. Although we communicate as a team, he is now in charge. I don’t want to take the lead from a distance because I don’t believe it is a good place to be. Actually, it’s not easy, but we’re trying our hardest.

“It’s going to be a fast turnaround (for me), we just need to acknowledge that.” However, over the next three weeks or so, we hope to implement some structures into the team to give the players the clarity they need ahead of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.

Notably, Gujarat Titans, an Indian Premier League (IPL) team, have Gary Kirsten as their coach and mentor.

Kirsten will be leading the team in the following year’s ICC Champions Trophy 2025 in Pakistan, ACC T20 Asia Cup 2025, and the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 in India and Sri Lanka in addition to the forthcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 and other bilateral white-ball series.

Pakistan

Jason Gillespie and Gary Kirsten discuss their candidacies as Pakistan’s next coaches.

Published

6 days ago

Farwa

At a news conference held here today, PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi announced the appointments.

After finishing his duty in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL), Kirsten will assume leadership as the head coach of Pakistan’s ODI and T20I teams.

Kirsten will be in charge of the team for the following year’s ICC Champions Trophy in Pakistan, ACC T20 Asia Cup in 2025, and the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka in addition to the forthcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 and other bilateral white-ball series.

“It’s an incredible privilege to be given the job of leading the Pakistan men’s national team in white-ball cricket and to return to the world of international cricket after a long absence,” Kirsten said.

“I’m excited about the chance to support the Pakistan men’s national team in limited-overs cricket and hope to make a positive impact.”

“My aim is to bring the Pakistan men’s white-ball team together, utilizing their exceptional abilities to work toward a single goal and succeeding as a team on the pitch.

“Over time, my viewpoint on Pakistani cricket has not changed. The squad is constantly expected to perform at a high standard on a regular basis.

But in team sports, it’s not always easy to stay at the top of your game. It gives me great satisfaction as a coach to see players reach their greatest potential.

“I look forward to working with each player individually and as a team to support their development.”

In the interim, Gillespie will take over for the August home Test matches in the ICC World Test Championship against Bangladesh. In the 2024–25 season, there will also be tests at home in October against England and away in December against South Africa.

“I express my gratitude to the PCB for their belief in my abilities and for granting me the privilege of leading one of the most esteemed and accomplished cricket teams in the conventional format of the game,” Gillespie said.

“Given its illustrious history and fervent fan base, coaching the Pakistan cricket team is an enormous accomplishment for any coach.

I enjoy being able to concentrate on Test cricket because I adore the sport. The fact that Pakistan has such a large talent pool is another thing I adore.

“I like to think that I can contribute in some small manner to the players’ development. I’m taking this role because I want to win tests. I enjoy winning, and I’m confident we have what it takes to succeed.

In the end, it all comes down to playing the kind of cricket we want to play—a style that wins games for us, thrills the crowd, and makes everyone associated with Pakistani cricket happy.

“We have some excellent fast bowlers in Pakistan, and making use of them will be crucial to any success we have.”