In today’s cricket landscape, captains are tight-lipped about team selections. They rarely reveal details about players before official squad announcements for major tournaments. Pakistan skipper Babar Azam, however, might have mistakenly tipped his hand regarding veteran pacer Hasan Ali.
While discussing the selection of the 18-man squad for the upcoming matches against Ireland and England, Azam stated that Hasan Ali was included solely as a “backup” player, and not part of the final T20 World Cup squad.
Hasan Ali not in T20 World Cup squad: Babar Azam
“I am hearing for quite some time that why is he [Hassan Ali] back? Selectors have also made it clear that he is there as back up. It is not that he is part of the 15-member squad [for World Cup]. We need to understand that he is a backup because of his experience,” Babar said.
Azam’s comments seem to suggest that Hasan Ali is not considered a first-choice pacer for the upcoming T20 World Cup, scheduled in June. He highlighted Ali’s experience as the reason for his selection as a backup option. It remains unclear whether Azam’s statement was a genuine slip-up or a calculated move.
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This revelation has sparked debate and raised questions about Hasan Ali’s standing in the national team. The decision to include him in the squad for the Ireland and England series, despite the presence of established fast bowlers like Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, Naseem Shah, and Mohammad Amir, had already attracted criticism from the media.
After a painstaking 2-2 draw against New Zealand, Pakistan will continue their preparation for the T20 World Cup from May 10 when they take on Ireland for first T20I. Following the three-match T20I series in Dublin, Pakistan will travel to England for 4 T20Is.
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