PCB to announce ICC World Cup 2023 squad tomorrow

Lahore: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has confirmed that the squad for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 will be announced on Friday, September 22.

In a press release on Thursday, the PCB stated that it had a meeting on Wednesday night with Mickey Arthur, the national coaching staff, captain Babar Azam, vice-captain Shadab Khan, and former captains Misbah ul Haq and Mohammad Hafeez to discuss the performance of the Pakistan Men's Cricket Team in the ACC Asia Cup 2023.

The men's national coaching staff, which consists of head coach Grant Bradburn, batting coach Andrew Puttick, and bowling coach Morne Morkel, also attended the meeting.

Dr. Sohail Saleem also attended the review meeting to provide an update on player injuries and the direction that player rehabilitation programs will take going forward.

“The philosophy behind this review was to create an atmosphere of open discussion and develop consensus. The idea is to have everyone on board and debate about performances, identifying the problems and their solutions. We have to debate strengths and weaknesses so that we are clear about what and where we need to invest for the betterment of our team,” Ashraf said.

“Discussion revealed that the previous management had allowed a lot of players to play league cricket which caused them to fatigued ahead of their national duty. But going forward we have agreed to form a proactive approach to tackle players workload and give national duty a priority.

“I am glad we had a good positive review session and are on the same page. We are confident that the experience gained in the Asia Cup was a learning curve and will help prepare for the ICC Men's World Cup.

“Our team is filled with talent, and we believe they have the capability to compete and win at the highest level. We have world-class batters and bowlers and are committed to providing them with the necessary support and resources to ensure they are well-equipped ahead of the mega event.”

Chief selector Inzamam ul Haq, who was unable to attend the meeting yesterday owing to a medical emergency, met with Zaka Ashraf on Thursday afternoon to offer his opinions.

After the completion of the review, Inzamam has finalised the Pakistan squad for the ICC World Cup, which will be announced on Friday morning in a press conference scheduled to take place at 1115 am at Level 2, Far-End Building of Gaddafi Stadium.