F.P. Report
LAHORE: Pakistan have made an addition to their squad for the Men’s ODI Asia Cup 2023. Left-handed batter Saud Shakeel has been added to the 17-member squad.
Following Saud Shakeel’s inclusion in the national squad, Tayyab Tahir has been demoted to the travelling reserves.
Notably, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) unveiled an 18-member squad for the three-match ODI series against Afghanistan.
The 18-member squad was then supposed to be trimmed down to 17 as Saud was only picked for Afghanistan ODIs.
The Babar Azam’s side will arrive in Multan on Sunday, 27 August, and will rest the next day.
The team management has provided relaxation to the players who participated in the Lankan Premier League. Babar, Imam-ul-Haq and Naseem Shah will travel to Lahore on Sunday and join the side on Monday evening.
The players will train on Tuesday, 29 August, at the Multan Cricket Stadium from 1630 till 1930. Before the start of the session, the Pakistan captain will hold a pre-series media conference.
This year’s Asia Cup will kick off with host Pakistan taking on Nepal in the curtain raiser on August 30 in Multan.
Pakistan will host a total of four matches including a Super 4s fixture.
India’s group stage matches including the anticipated clash against Pakistan, scheduled on September 2, will be held in Kandy while the rest of the Super 4s matches, including the final will be played in Colombo.
The arch-rivals Pakistan and India will come face to face again on September 10 in Colombo if both manage to qualify for the Super 4s.
Like the previous edition, the Asia Cup schedule holds a possibility of treating the cricket fans with a maximum of three Pakistan-India matches in a single tournament if both arch-rivals, in a first, simultaneously qualify for the final.
The upcoming edition of the Asia Cup features six teams, divided into two groups, the top two teams from each group will then qualify for the Super 4s. The continental event will run from August 31 to September 17.
Hosts Pakistan are placed in the same group as arch-rivals India and Nepal while the other group includes defending champions and co-hosts Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Afghanistan.
The Asia Cup 2023 will be played in the ODI format and will serve as an opportunity for the Asian teams to bolster their preparations for the upcoming ICC Men’s World Cup.
Pakistan squad: Babar Azam (captain), Shadab Khan (vice-captain), Abdullah Shafique, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Haris (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Naseem Shah, Salman Ali Agha, Saud Shakeel, Shaheen Afridi and Usama Mir Traveling reserve: Tayyab Tahir
