Pakistan’s squad for the upcoming limited-overs series against West Indies is expected to be announced within the next few days. It is expected that there will be a number of changes to the squad as many of the experienced players are likely to pull out of the series due to a number of reasons.
The likes of Shoaib Malik and Mohammad Hafeez have reportedly backed out of the series in order to play in the Lankan Premier League (LPL) and open the door for a number of Pakistani youngsters itching to don the national jersey. It is also expected that the national selection committee will rest experienced all-rounder, Imad Wasim, and wicket-keeper batter, Sarfaraz Ahmed.
These experienced players were part of Pakistan’s squad for the 2021 T20 World Cup while Mohammad Hafeez missed the T20I series against Bangladesh.
According to sources, the likes of Sharjeel Khan, Ahmed Shehzad, and Sahibzada Farhan are likely to be recalled to the national team squad for the upcoming T20I series. While Sharjeel was a regular part of the squad until the T20 World Cup, the other two batters have not been a part of Pakistan’s squad for the past few years.
It is also expected that fiery right-arm pacer, Mohammad Hasnain is also going to be included in the squad in order to bolster the fast bowling options. The pace trio of Shaheen Afridi, Hasan Ali and Haris Rauf have been outstanding for the Men in Green in the shortest format but it is expected that two out of these three will be rested for the series.
Sources further revealed that the likes of Shahnawaz Dahani, Usman Qadir and Iftikhar Ahmed will be provided more game time in the series as team management looks to provide international experience to talented cricketers.