Shoaib Akhtar would have picked Mohammad Amir, Shoaib Malik, Faheem Ashraf and Hussain Talat in his Pakistan T20 World Cup team
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Iconic Pakistan seamer Shoaib Akhtar said he would have picked left-arm fast bowler Mohammad Amir in the squad for the T20 World Cup.
Amir retired from international cricket in December 2020 after alleging that he was being “mentally tortured” by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and felt that the recently-departed team management had deliberately been snubbing him for selection.
In addition to Amir, the Rawalpindi Express said he would have also selected Shoaib Malik, Faheem Ashraf and Hussain Talat.
Opening batsman Fakhar Zaman and pace bowler Shahnawaz Dahani, who are reserve players, would have also made the cut in Akhtar’s team.
“The Pakistan squad for [the] T20 World Cup should include Babar Azam, Mohammad Hafeez, Mohammad Rizwan, Shoaib Malik, Imad Wasim, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Afridi, Hasan Ali, Shahnawaz Dahani, Faheem Ashraf, Mohammad Amir, Fakhar Zaman and Hussain Talat,” he said on PTV Sports as quoted by Cricket Pakistan.
Pakistan will begin their T20 World Cup campaign against India on October 24 in Dubai.
Pakistan T20 World Cup Squad: Babar Azam (capt), Shadab Khan (vice-capt), Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Asif Ali, Sohaib Maqsood, Azam Khan (wk), Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Hafeez, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Wasim Junior, Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Hasnain.
Pakistan T20 World Cup Reserves: Usman Qadir, Shanawaz Dahani, Fakhar Zaman