Pakistan Announce T20 World Cup Squad Amid Uncertainty

Pakistan Reveals T20 World Cup Squad Amidst Some Doubt

Pakistan just announced their 15-member team for the 2026 T20 World Cup, but get this: they might not even be able to play! It all hinges on whether the government gives the okay. This announcement came right after the PCB chairman, Mohsin Naqvi, sounded pretty unsure about Pakistan’s participation, thanks to the ICC swapping Bangladesh out. It’s a mess.

Despite all this, the PCB met the ICC’s deadline on January 30 and picked a squad that’s pretty much the same as the one for the T20 series against Australia. So, it looks like they’re acting like they’re going, at least when it comes to the cricket side of things.

Why This Team Was Picked: The Pressure of the ICC Deadline

The main selector, Aaqib Javed, made it clear that this team has nothing to do with whether they’re actually playing. He said the selectors were just doing their jobs, and the government will call the shots on if Pakistan competes or not.

Because of the ICC deadline, they didn’t have a lot of time to judge players based on how they did in the Australia series. So, they made some choices based on what they already thought, past performance, and what they think the conditions will be like in Sri Lanka, where Pakistan is supposed to play their games.

Pakistan’s First Game and the Schedule

Pakistan is supposed to kick off the T20 World Cup against the Netherlands on February 7 in Colombo. Starting the whole thing puts a lot of stress on the team, especially with all the drama and uncertainty going on.

Everyone expects spin to work well in Sri Lanka, which def influenced who they picked. Pakistan went for a lot of spinners and not many fast bowlers.

Babar Azam’s Still In: Why?

People are definitely talking about Babar Azam being on the team. Even though he didn’t do great in the Big Bash League, he’s playing in his fourth T20 World Cup. He scored 202 runs in 11 innings with a super slow strike rate of 103.06 – the worst for someone scoring over 200 runs in a BBL season. Ouch.

He looked bad out there, and he even had a weird moment with Steven Smith at Sydney Sixers. He’s not the captain anymore, but he’s still getting a lot of attention by being on the team.

Haris Rauf Left Out Despite Doing Well in the BBL

A lot of fans and experts are surprised that Haris Rauf isn’t on the team. He got the most wickets in the Big Bash League and looked really good. But, it seems like his last T20I game for Pakistan, the Asia Cup final against India, is still on people’s minds.

That expensive over at the end of the game seems to have hurt him. Since then, the selectors don’t seem to trust him, even though he’s been playing well in leagues everywhere.

Bowling Choices and Sri Lanka’s Conditions

Pakistan is going with three fast bowlers: Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah, and Salman Mirza. The rest of the bowlers are mostly spinners. Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Abrar Ahmed, and Usman Tariq all made the team.

This clearly means they’re planning for Sri Lankan conditions. It looks okay on paper, but it makes you wonder about their options for bowling at the end of innings, especially when the pressure’s on.

What They’ve Done, What’s Risky, and How They Pick Players

Pakistan usually does well when people don’t expect much from them. They’re unpredictable, which sometimes leads to success at ICC events. But, some bad choices have cost them, like in the Asia Cup, where the team wasn’t balanced well and they got knocked out.

This team is similar: they’re sticking with familiar names, not really trusting new talent, and ignoring players who are good at specific things, like bowling at the end.

My Thoughts

This Pakistan team is seriously bad. What are the board and selectors even doing? The Asia Cup was lost due to bad choices, and it seems like they haven’t learned anything.

Babar Azam is everywhere! Why? He sucked in the BBL. Pakistan have faster batsmen for T20 cricket, so why is he still being selected?

Then there is Usman Khan. I don’t know based on which level of performance he has been picked for. What has he done at the national level to deserve this spot? These selections aren’t making any sense at all.

If I say, Shadab Khan is a “parchi” now, it won’t even be wrong. His recent form does not favor his selection. On the other hand, Sufyan Muqeem was a great option. He is very talented, has talent, is in control and also has confidence, but selectors always forgets him.

Dropping Rauf makes a bit of sense if you are planning for spin-friendly conditions, but then why are proper death bowlers ignored?? Zaman Khan has been outstanding, not just in the BBL but in international matches as well. In death overs, he is one of the best that Pakistan have. First Haris replaced him, and now none of them are in the squad. That is shocking.

One positive is Khwaja Nafay. He can be a right option if given chances. But selectors never do it in a consistent way.

What to Expect and Who to Watch

Against the Netherlands, Pakistan should win easily if they play smart. The real challenges will be against stronger teams where strike rate, end-of-innings bowling, and awareness are important.

Shaheen and Naseem will be key with the new ball. Shadab & Abrar will have to get the ball, with conditions being spin-friendly. Salman Agha, as a captain, will be under stress to prove himself, as a leader and better.

If Pakistan goes far in this tournament, it’s going to be an individual performance not because of the election.

Final Thoughts

Pakistan has announced a team, but the argument is still on. Drama and questionable actions have overshadowed cricket preparation. This team has talent, absolutely, but it also has really bad weaknesses, that could cost Pakistan in crucial moments.

If they want to win the T20 World Cup, then selection needs to be changed. If not history will repeat itself and fans will ask after it. What were the selectors thinking?