Sports
T20 World Cup: Shoaib Malik likely to be included in national squad
LAHORE: Pakistan Cricket Board PCB is likely to include Shoaib Malik in the national squad for the ICC Men's T20 World Cup as Sohaib Maqsood is still suffering from pain while walking, and he may not able to travel to Dubai for matches.
According to scheduled, T20 World Cup matches are taking place in the UAE and Oman from October 17 as Sohaib Maqsood is still having difficulty in walking after the injury and he may not be able to travel with the team.
Sohaib had not participated in Southern Punjab’s match against Central Punjab on Thursday after suffering from a back injury. A day earlier, Sohaib Maqsood was brought to a hospital for an MRI scan as he was finding it difficult to walk.
Well-placed sources said that a final decision about his inclusion in the World Cup squad will be made in a day or two on the basis of medical advice. Shoaib Malik’s name, however, is being discussed as a substitute player.
Pakistan is in Group 2 and will open its campaign against India on 24 October at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
Pakistan squad
Babar Azam (captain), Shadab Khan (vice-captain), Asif Ali, Fakhar Zaman, Haider Ali, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Hafeez, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper), Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Sarfaraz Ahmed (wicketkeeper), Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sohaib Maqsood.
Traveling reserves: Khushdil Shah, Shahnawaz Dahani and Usman Qadir
Player Support Personnel: Mansoor Rana (manager), Saqlain Mushtaq (interim head coach), Shahid Aslam (assistant head coach), Matthew Hayden (batting consultant), Vernon Philander (bowling consultant), Cliffe Deacon (physiotherapist), Drikus Saaiman (strength and conditioning coach), Abdul Majeed (fielding coach), Talha Ejaz (team analyst), Col (retd) Muhammad Imran (Security Manager), Ibrahim Badees (media and digital manager), Dr. Najeeb Soomro (team doctor) and Malang Ali (Masseur)