Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced a 17-member squad for Asia Cup 2023 on Wednesday, 9 August. Whilst experienced all-rounder Imad Wasim has been excluded, there are some comparatively new faces in the squad.
Tayyab Tahir, who has not made his ODI debut yet, has been included in the squad following a match-winning century in the Men's Emerging Asia Cup 2023 final, where the green shirts got the better of India. Mohammad Haris, who captained the team in that competition, has also been given an opportunity.
However, a gaffe by chief selector Inzamam-ul-Haq caused confusion among the Pakistani loyalists. The former batter missed reading out the name of all-rounder Mohammad Nawaz, leading the fans to believe that the 29-year-old has been dropped.
The decision came as a surprise, as Nawaz played a key role in Pakistan's victory against India in the 2022 Asia Cup. His 20-ball 42 helped Babar Azam's team record the highest successful run-chase against India by Pakistan in T20I cricket.
However, it was later stated that the name had been missed out, and Nawaz indeed is a part of the squad.
Pakistan Squad for Asia Cup 2023:
Babar Azam (c), Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Rizwan, Shadab Khan, Abdullah Shafique, Faheem Ashraf, Haris Rauf, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imam-Ul-Haq, Mohammad Haris, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Naseem Shah, Agha Salman, Shaheen Afridi, Tayyab Tahir, Usama Mir, Mohammad Nawaz.
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