Published: Apr 18, 2019, 06:50 PM (IST)
Edited: Apr 18, 2019, 06:55 PM (IST)
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced the provisional 15-man Pakistan squad for the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup in England, and it does not include Mohammad Amir who has been omitted in favour of left-arm pace bowler Junaid Khan.
Amir has, however, been named in a pool of 17 players for five ODIs against England in May before the World Cup. The hard-hitting batsman Asif Ali also missed the World Cup but like Amir is in the ODI squad to play England.
Amir was expected to be named despite managing just five wickets at 92.60 apiece since the 2017 Champions Trophy final, but he has lost out to Junaid.
Getting maiden World Cup call-ups are the top-order batsman Abid Ali and rookie fast bowler Mohammad Hasnain. Sarfraz Ahmed returns as captain of Pakistan for the World Cup, having been rested for the ODIs against Australia in the UAE. The other five players who missed that 0-5 series defeat are also back – Hasan Ali, Shadab Khan, Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman and Shaheen Shah Afridi.
The other casualties from the series defeat to Australia are Yasir Shah, Shan Masood, Mohammad Abbas, Saad Ali and Umar Akmal – who was not called for the pre-World Cup fitness camp – and the wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan.
Mohammad Hafeez is back after recovering from surgery and passing the mandatory yo-yo fitness test. The spin-bowling allrounder Imad Wasim, who failed the unofficial fitness test, has been included after being allowed more time to prove his worth.
Pakistan begin their World Cup campaign on May 31 against West Indies at Trent Bridge.
Pakistan World Cup squad:
Sarfaraz Ahmed (capt/wk), Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Abid Ali, Babar Azam, Shoaib Malik, Mohammad Hafeez, Haris Sohail, Shadab Khan, Imad Wasim, Hasan Ali, Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Junaid Khan, Mohammad Hasnain.
Pakistan’s World Cup fixtures:
May 24: (warm-up) Pakistan vs Afghanistan, Bristol
May 26: (warm-up) Pakistan vs Bangladesh, Cardiff
May 31: Pakistan vs West Indies, Nottingham
June 3: Pakistan vs England, Nottingham
June 7: Pakistan vs Sri Lanka, Bristol
June 12: Pakistan vs Australia, Taunton
June 16: Pakistan vs India, Manchester
June 23: Pakistan vs South Africa, Lord’s
June 26: Pakistan vs New Zealand, Birmingham
June 29: Pakistan vs Afghanistan, Leeds
July 5: Pakistan vs Bangladesh, Lord’s
For a full list of all World Cup fixtures, click HERE
