The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) finally named its squad for the T20 World Cup. But they didn’t, after delaying it thrice. Most sides had named their teams before May 5, but PCB decided to wait until the penultimate date of the ICC deadline. Why did they do so? Well, their chief, Mohsin Naqvi, had halted the announcement.
The Pakistan cricket team’s squad was to be named on May 23, but it was delayed to the 24th. It was all but confirmed that it would be named at 7:30 PM IST (7 PM PST), but we faced another delay as the PCB Chief intervened. In the late hours of the day, the announcement from the board finally came.
Is Pakistan doomed for the T20 World Cup?
Babar Azam was named as skipper; Haris Rauf made a return to the main 15; but no vice-captain was to be found. What was even more perplexing was that no reserves had been announced, and their support staff was almost as strong as their squad. Compared to players (15), the PCB is taking 14 support staff members to the T20 World Cup 2024.
All of these players were already part of the Pakistan cricket team that had traveled to England. So was it delayed? Is the real reason behind the consistent holdup the selection of the support staff instead of the team?
That could very well be true. Instead of trying to field the perfect 15 on the field, Naqvi seems to be more fixated on finding coaches, selectors, directors, and team managers. A few months ago, Mickey Arthur was sacked, and Mohammad Hafeez was named Director of Cricket.
Within two months, he was gone as well. Salman Butt was to be named as one of the selectors, but after backlash, that decision was overturned. Wahab Riaz is the chief selector as well as their senior team manager. Gary Kirsten is their new white coach and still hasn’t coached the Pakistan team in one match.
Amid all the musical chairs of sacking and hiring, the PCB Chief might have forgotten that they have to field a team at the 2024 T20 World Cup.
Pakistan Cricket
Pakistan’s support staff for T20 World Cup 2024
Wahab Riaz (senior team manager), Mansoor Rana (team manager), Gary Kirsten (head coach), Azhar Mahmood (assistant coach), Simon Helmot (fielding coach), David Reid (mental performance coach), Aftab Khan (high-performance coach), Cliffe Deacon (physiotherapist), Irtaza Komail (chief security officer), Mohammad Imran (masseur), Mohammad Khurram Sarwar (team doctor), Talha Ijaz (analyst), Raza Kitchlew (media and digital manager) and Drikus Saaiman (strength and conditioning coach).
Pakistan’s squad for T20 World Cup 2024
Babar Azam (c), Abrar Ahmed, Azam Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf. Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Rizwan. Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usman Khan.
