Sports

Pakistan includes uncapped Asif Afridi, Mohammad Haris in ODI, T20I squads for Australia series

Published

3 years ago

Farwa

Left-arm spinner Asif Afridi and Mohammad Haris have earned selectors’ nod due to their “impressive” domestic performances, says PCB.
PCB says selectors have included 20 players in the ODI squad and 17 for the only T20I.
Board says squad will assemble in Lahore on March 22 and will join national team after undergoing three-day room isolation.

LAHORE: Pakistan has included uncapped Asif Afridi and Mohammad Haris in the limited-overs squad that will take on Australia in the three ODIs and one-off T20I.

“Left-arm spinner Asif and wicketkeeper/batter Haris have earned the selectors’ nod as result of their impressive performances in the domestic circuit as the selectors have continued to provide opportunities to high-performing players as part of their strategy to increase the pool of top-class cricketers and developing a formidable bench-strength,” said the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) in a statement.

On the other hand, Mohammad Nawaz, who was withdrawn from the Test series injury, has also been included in the squad. But his selection is subject to a fitness test.

The PCB said that the selectors have included 20 players in the ODI squad and 17 for the only T20I. Abdullah Shafique, Imam-Ul-Haq and Saud Shakeel have not been included in the T20 squad.

Chair of the Selection Committee Muhammad Wasim, while congratulating Asif and Haris, said that their inclusion “is a reward for their hard work and consistent performances in the domestic circuit”.

“Australia are an equally outstanding team in the shorter formats of the game and, as such, we have decided to go with the best available and most experienced players. The four white-ball matches have significant context as the 50-over games count towards the 2023 World Cup qualification and the 20-over will be a repeat of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 semi-final,” said the chief selector.

According to the PCB, the squad will assemble in Lahore on March 22 and will undergo three-day room isolation. Once the isolation ends the players will be allowed to integrate with the national side.

Australia is ranked No 3 in ODIs, while they are the reigning T20 world champions, whereas Pakistan is ranked sixth and third in the 50-over and 20-over formats, respectively.

In the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Super League, Australia is seventh and Pakistan ninth. The top seven ranked sides from this event plus ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 hosts India will qualify directly for the pinnacle 50-over competition, which will be staged next year in October/November.

ODI squad

Babar Azam (captain)

Shadab Khan (vice-captain)

Abdullah Shafique

Asif Afridi

Asif Ali

Fakhar Zaman

Haider Ali

Haris Rauf

Hasan Ali

Iftikhar Ahmed

Imam-Ul-Haq

Khushdil Shah

Mohammad Haris (wicketkeeper)

Mohammad Nawaz

Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper)

Mohammad Wasim Jnr

Saud Shakeel

Shaheen Shah Afridi

Shahnawaz Dahani

Usman Qadir

T20I squad

Babar Azam (captain)

Shadab Khan (vice-captain)

Asif Afridi

Asif Ali

Fakhar Zaman

Haider Ali

Haris Rauf

Hasan Ali

Iftikhar Ahmed

Khushdil Shah

Mohammad Haris (wicketkeeper)

Mohammad Nawaz

Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper)

Mohammad Wasim Jnr

Shaheen Shah Afridi Shahnawaz Dahani

Usman Qadir

Latest News

Tickets for the Pakistan-India match were sold out in a matter of minutes.

Published

2 days ago

Farwa

The International Cricket Council (ICC) reports that tickets for the much awaited Pakistan-India encounter in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, which is set to take place in Dubai, were sold out in a matter of minutes.

The tremendous demand for the Pakistan-India match underscores the fierce rivalry and excitement surrounding the tournament, even though tickets for the semi-finals are currently on sale.

Pavilion-specific ticket prices ranged from 500 AED for regular pavilion tickets to 1,200 AED to 5,000 AED for premium seats. The price of the elite Grand Lounge VIP packages was 12,500 AED, or roughly PKR 500,000.

On Tuesday, tickets will also go on sale for India’s first semi-final in Dubai as well as their final two group matches. Tickets for general stands are available for purchase online with prices for general stands starting at 125 AED.

Latest News

ICC Champions Trophy 2025: Today marks the start of the second phase of ticket sales.

Published

2 days ago

Farwa

Today marks the start of the second phase of the ICC Champions Trophy ticket sale.
Tickets for the opening match of mega event between Pakistan and New Zealand already sold out in the first Phase.
Following the Online sale of Tickets Last week, Physical Tickets for the Eight-Team competition will go on sale from Today.
Tickets for Matches in Pakistan including Group Stage Fixtures and the second Semi-Final will be Available at 108 Outlets of courier Service across the Country.
The Physical Tickets will be available to fans in 26 Cities of Pakistan.

For the ten matches that will be held in Karachi, Lahore, and Rawalpindi, general stand tickets will start at 1,000 Pakistan Rupees, while premium seats in various categories will start at 1,500 Pakistan Rupees.
Tickets for the India matches scheduled for February 20 and 23 and March 2 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, will be made available as soon as possible.

Latest News

Will the Champions Trophy 2025 miss an opening ceremony?

Published

6 days ago

Farwa

The ICC Champions Trophy 2025 may commence without the traditional opening ceremony or captains’ press conference due to a modified arrival schedule for the participating teams.

This year, the England and Australia cricket teams will arrive in Pakistan nearer to the commencement of the event.

Sources inside the International Cricket Council (ICC) have verified that teams, including England and Australia, will arrive in Pakistan following their separate tours.

England is set to complete its tour of India by February 12, but Australia will conclude their series in Sri Lanka on February 14.

Consequently, both teams have retracted from the warm-up matches, a decision aligned with prior ICC events, where tardy attendance hindered practice matches.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) indicated interest in staging an opening ceremony; but, logistical issues related to the teams’ arrival dates resulted in its postponement.

The PCB stated that although the occurrence was not officially verified, it has consistently been regarded as a potentiality.

Although the opening ceremony and press conference have been cancelled, the PCB is dedicated to organising an alternative event to commemorate the importance of hosting the ICC Champions Trophy for the first time in 29 years.

The inaugural match of the tournament, featuring Pakistan and New Zealand, is set for February 19 in Karachi.

The PCB has stated that a celebration for fans will be organized ahead of the match to highlight the excitement surrounding the event.