Kamran Akmal: “Pakistan’s squad for the T20 World Cup should not be selected based on friendship. The team should be selected on merit and based on the conditions of Australia”
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Wicketkeeper-batsman Kamran Akmal has questioned whether the Pakistan team for the 2022 T20 World Cup in Australia was “selected based on friendship”.
He pointed out that instead of picking players solely on whether they are liked or not, the selectors should be including cricketers who are in great form and those who will excel in Australian conditions.
The men in green will be aiming to have a strong campaign, especially after they went unbeaten in the group stage in the 2021 T20 World Cup before falling to eventual champions Australia in the semi-final.
“Pakistan’s squad for the T20 World Cup should not be selected based on friendship. The team should be selected on merit and based on the conditions of Australia. I do not get a place in the T20 World Cup squad of the national cricket team,” Akmal was quoted as saying by Cricket Pakistan.
Pakistan just completed playing a T20 tri-series against New Zealand and Bangladesh in Christchurch, which they won after beating the Black Caps by five wickets.
They will then take part in the 2022 T20 World Cup, which starts on October 16.
Pakistan’s Squad for T20 Tri-Series against New Zealand and Bangladesh: Babar Azam (capt), Shadab Khan, Shaheen Afridi, Iftikhar Ahmed, Asif Ali, Haider Ali, Mohammad Hasnain, Shan Masood, Mohammad Nawaz, Usman Qadir, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Khushdil Shah, Naseem Shah, Mohammad Wasim Jr
Pakistan’s 2022 T20 World Cup squad: Babar Azam (capt), Shadab Khan, Asif Ali, Haider Ali, Haris Rauf, Iftikhar Ahmed, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Mohammad Wasim Jr, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Afridi, Shan Masood, Usman Qadir
Reserves: Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Haris, Shahnawaz Dahani