On Friday, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced the 15-member squad for the International Cricket Council (ICC) U-19 Cricket World Cup 2020.
According to a press release by the PCB, the National Junior Selection Committee had decided to keep Rohail Nazir as team captain and promote Haider Ali to vice-captain. This is the team selection for the upcoming World Cup taking place from January 17th-February 9th in South Africa.
Pakistan squad for ICC U19 Cricket World Cup 2020 namedhttps://t.co/LACNkZTw7j pic.twitter.com/xkvx1CFDyf
— PCB Media (@TheRealPCBMedia) December 6, 2019
Pakistan has been placed in Group-C of the event and their opening match will be against Scotland on January 19th, the PCB has announced. After this, the Pakistan squad will play against Zimbabwe on January 22nd before having their final match on against Bangladesh two days later on January 24th. The PCB explained that following the group stage, two of the best teams from each group will advance to the Super League, meanwhile the remaining teams will feature on the Plate Championship. The top four sides of the Super League will qualify for the semi-finals and the winners will face each other for the title on February 9. Committee chairman Saleem Jaffar congratulated the team on their selection saying, “I know some of the players will be disappointed at not being picked, but it was a tough task as we had a pool of some very exciting and exceptionally talented players to choose from. I would encourage all the players who have missed out on selection to remain positive and motivated as I am confident there will be opportunities for them down the road”. He further added, “Criteria for selection was current performances and meritocracy, and I am pleased it was a consensus decision. These players have been performing up to our expectations and I am hopeful they will carry their good form into the series and produce solid performances”. The PCB also added that due to their injuries, Ammad Butt Jnr, Akhtar Shah and Saim Ayub were not considered for selection. The Squad is as follows:
- Openers: Abdul Wahid Bangalzai (Quetta), Haider Ali (Rawalpindi), Mohammad Shehzad (Multan)
- Middle-order batsmen: Mohammad Haris (Peshawar), Mohammad Huraira (Sialkot) and Mohammad Irfan Khan (Lahore)
- Wicketkeeper :Rohail Nazir (captain)
- All-rounders: Abbas Afridi (Peshawar), Fahad Munir (Lahore) and Qasim Akram (Faisalabad)
- Spinners: Amir Ali (Larkana) and Arish Ali Khan (Karachi)
- Fast bowlers: Amir Khan (Peshawar), Naseem Shah (Lahore) and Tahir Hussain (Multan)
The management team for the squad includes: Ijaz Ahmed (head coach-cum-manager), Rao Iftikhar Anjum (bowling coach), Abdul Majeed (assistant coach), Saboor Ahmad (trainer), Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rasul (physiotherapist), Usman Hashmi (analyst), Emmad Ahmed Hameed (media manager) and Col (retd) Usman Riffat Ansari (security manager). Keep up to date with more news at ProperGaanda: PM Khan Launches “Digital Pakistan” Campaign