Pakistan Vs Afghanistan Series Squad has been announced by Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman Najam Sethi and Chief Selector Haroon Rasheed. A press conference was held a few minutes ago where a rather controversial team was announced and the duo announced a team empty of senior players.
According to the team announcement, Babar Azam will not play as the captain of the team and will be replaced by Vice Captain Shahdab Khan will be leading the team in the series against Afghanistan which will be played in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.
Here is the complete Pakistan Vs Afghanistan Series Squad.
Pakistan Vs Afghanistan Series Squad Announced
The Pakistan Vs Afghanistan series includes a much of new names while a few players will be making a comeback for the National side. Some changes are made to rest overworked players while some of them have been rested to give them more time to recuperate after sustaining injuries and rehabilitation.
? Pakistan squad for T20I series against Afghanistan in Sharjah ?#AFGvPAK | #BackTheBoysInGreen pic.twitter.com/gzObBOQ25K
— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) March 13, 2023
Here is the complete 15 men’s squad for Pakistan vs Afghanistan T20I series.
- Shahdab Khan
- Abdullah Shafique
- Azam Khan
- Faheem Ashraf
- Iftikhar Ahmed
- Ihsanullah
- Imad Wasim
- Mohammad Haris
- Mohammad Nawaz
- Mohammad Wasim Junior
- Naseem Shah
- Saim Ayub
- Shan Masood
- Tayyab Tahir
- Zaman Khan
The reserve men include:
- Abrar Ahmed
- Haseebullah
- Usama Mir
Senior and Main Players of the Team Rested Against Their Wish
Pakistan Team Captain Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, Fakhar Zaman, Shaheen Afridi, and Haris Rauf have been rested for the series. PCB says the decision has been made for the welfare of the players. Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, and Fakhar Zaman have been rested to give them more time to recover.
Babar has played 10 Tests, 12 ODIs, 26 T20Is, and 19 PSL matches, while Rizwan has featured in eight Tests, 11 ODIs, 25 T20Is, and 22 PSL matches besides a few matches in the Bangladesh Premier League. Haris has appeared in one Test, 10 ODIs, 23 T20Is, and 23 PSL matches.
It is to be noted that Mohammad Rizwan is the current number 2 ranking T20 player whereas Baber is the number 3 ranking T20 player. After PSL, it is expected that Rizwan will move on to the Number 1 spot. This decision and their exclusion from the Pakistan Vs Afghanistan Series Squad has seen severe backlash from the fans.
Read more: Pakistan vs New Zealand 2023 ODI Series Squad Announced
Pakistan Vs Afghanistan Series Schedule
Pakistan vs Afghanistan series will include three T20 matches, all of which will be played in Sharjah. Here is the schedule for the series.
| T20 | Date | Time | Venue |
| 1 | 24th March, Friday | 3:00 pm | Sharjah Cricket Stadium |
| 2 | 26th March, Sunday | 3:00 pm | Sharjah Cricket Stadium |
| 3 | 27th March, Monday | 3:00 pm | Sharjah Cricket Stadium |
