Sarfraz Nawaz: “He is the top wicket-taker of the PSL 9, helping Multan Sultans reach the final, yet he was sidelined. If he misses the cut for the T20 World Cup, it will be a big loss to Pakistan”

Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani

Former pace bowler Sarfraz Nawaz believes “it will be a big loss to Pakistan” if spinner Usama Mir is not picked for the 2024 T20 World Cup.

Nawaz was highly impressed with Mir’s performance in the 2024 Pakistan Super League (PSL), where he finished as the highest wicket-taker with 24 victims in 12 matches for the Multan Sultans at an average of 15.87 and an economy rate of 8.13.

Mir featured in the five-match T20I series against New Zealand after PSL 9 and claimed three wickets in two games at an average of 21.33 and an economy rate of eight.

However, he was overlooked for the three-match T20I series against Ireland, which the men in green won 2-1, and the ongoing four-match T20I series against England.

Nawaz noted that having an in-form player like Mir is a must for Pakistan, especially if they want to have a strong campaign in the T20 World Cup.

“He is the top wicket-taker of the PSL 9, helping Multan Sultans reach the final, yet he was sidelined. If he misses the cut for the T20 World Cup, it will be a big loss to Pakistan,” he was quoted as saying by The News, according to Geo Super.

Following the T20I series against England, the men in green will feature in the T20 World Cup, which will take place in the West Indies and United States of America from June 1 to 29.

Pakistan’s first T20 World Cup game will be against the United States of America in Dallas on June 6.

Pakistan Squad for Ireland and England T20I Series: Babar Azam (capt), Abrar Ahmed, Azam Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usman Khan

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