PCB chairman halts announcement of Pakistan’s squad for World Cup

LAHORE: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi has halted the announcement of Pakistan’s squad for the ICC T20 World Cup 2024, following reports of his dissatisfaction with the selection process.

Insiders reveal that Naqvi is significantly displeased with the current selection procedures. This decision follows earlier reports indicating that consultations regarding player selections for the T20 World Cup squad had been finalised.

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The announcement of the squad was expected to be made today, following comprehensive discussions among the national team management and selection committee.

The consultation process saw participation from key figures including captain Babar Azam, head coach Gary Kirsten, senior manager Wahab Riaz among others.

According to insiders, disagreements regarding the inclusion of wicketkeeper-batsman Usman Khan, Irfan Niazi, and Salman Ali Agha were ironed out, with the committee reaching a unanimous decision on the inclusion of a final player in the 15-member squad.

In addition to the main squad, the names of two travelling reserve players were also set to be announced.

The preliminary squad was expected to feature prominent players under skipper Babar Azam, including Mohammad Rizwan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah, and Fakhar Zaman. Other players anticipated to join the squad include Mohammad Amir, Saim Ayub, Azam Khan, Haris Rauf, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Abrar Ahmed, Shadab Khan, and Abbas Afridi.

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PCB has yet to release an official statement clarifying the reasons behind Naqvi’s decision or providing a new timeline for the squad announcement.