Reports: Pakistan’s T20 World Cup squad may undergo changes after players underperform in National T20 Cup

There were some reservations expressed by the masses when the Pakistan squad for the T20 World Cup was announced. Now after the first few matches of the National T20 Cup 2021, the concerns and questions regarding the team selection have only increased. Interestingly, Pakistan players were supposed to play in a five-match T20I series against New Zealand, but it was cancelled. 

As that series got called off, the national team’s players were forced to play in the domestic T20 competition as a way to prepare for the World Cup in the UAE. Now, players like Azam Khan, Khushdil Shah, Sohaib Maqsood, Mohammad Hasnain and Mohammad Nawaz haven’t performed really well so far in the tournament. 

According to Dawn, there are murmurs in Pakistan cricket that the selectors could make some changes to the squad before the deadline date for locking in the squad comes. The tournament will start for Pakistan on October 24 against India in Dubai. The selectors have time till October 10 to make any changes to the final 15 which will represent the Asian country. 

Two changes can still be made to the World Cup squad: PCB official

The players, who have emerged as favourites to replace the out-of-form players, are Shoaib Malik, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Shahnawaz Dahani and Usman Qadir. Fakhar Zaman, who has been named as a reserve player and will travel with the squad, might also get a chance to be elevated to the main squad ahead of the tournament. 

A Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) official was even reported by Dawn saying, “Two changes can still be made to the World Cup squad, but nothing is confirmed yet.” However, the same official also said that the matches were played in Rawalpindi, where the pitch was prepared for the ODI matches against New Zealand. 

“The pitches were made for the One-day International matches against New Zealand and not for the T20 format. The pitches in Lahore will provide much more entertaining cricket,” the official said.

Even the replacements whose names have come in the rumours have themselves not shown great form, but there are concerns around the ones who have been picked. Players like Babar Azam, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Mohammad Rizwan are the only ones, who have been in good form.