Media and Pakistani cricket fans are expressing their displeasure over the team selection. In particular, the chief selector of PCB and former cricketer Inzamam-ul-Haq is being criticized by many for favoring his nephew Imam-ul-Haq and selecting him in the squad. Keeping Imam-ul-Haq’s previous performances, he doesn’t deserve to be in the team at all, but sadly in Pakistan, nothing goes justly.
Here is the list of those five potential players who were unfortunately not given the chance to play in the big tournament.
1. Imad Wasim
PCB chief selector Inzamam-ul-Haq told the media that the reason behind Imad Wasim was not included in the World Cup squad is domestic performance.
He conveyed to the media that any player who wishes to get selected for the World Cup 23 squad has to perform in domestic cricket. However, due to Imad Waseem’s brilliant performance in CPL, the fans wanted him to be selected for the World Cup.
Imad Wasim is no doubt a potential player who is capable of creating his impact in the game through his Left-arm orthodox spin and batting, and he is also a champion fielder.
He is currently one of the best spinners present in Pakistan, yet he was not selected for the team, leaving his fans miserable and angry. Imad Wasim’s supporters were calling for his selection in the squad due to his international experience on foreign grounds, and he also handles pressure very well.
Imad Wasim is a genuine all-rounder and is currently the best all-rounder in Pakistan. The captain of Karachi Kings, Imad Wasim, also got into some quarrel with the Pakistani star batter Babar Azam, which led Babar Azam to leave Karachi Kings and move to the Zalmi team.
It is said that Imad Wasim and Babar Azam are not on good terms and are not even friends anymore, so he is not included in the World Cup team.
2. Abrar Ahmad
Ahmad is a rising star and an emerging talent of the country, and due to his recent impressive performance in test cricket, the fans were also rooting for his selection in the squad.
He is a part of the traveling reserves in the squad, but he has not been given a chance up till now to make his debut on the big ground. The inclusion of Abrar Ahmad in the traveling reserves and not in the 15-membered team left fans unhappy.
The spinner has played for his country, Pakistan, only in Test cricket. He has played six matches so far and managed to take 38 wickets at an average of 31.07, along with an impressive strike rate of 51.2 and an economy of 3.63.
The former captain of the Pakistan team, Misbah-ul-Haq, has shared his opinion to have Abrar Ahmad, the mystery spinner in the team.
“We were suggesting to include Abrar Ahmed in the squad because our spin bowling department is not in good condition, and we did not perform well in Asia Cup,”
he said.
3: Sarfaraz Ahmad
While Sarfaraz Ahmad, the former captain of the Pakistan team, has performed exceptionally in the Tests, but his performance in other formats is still questionable.
“Sarfaraz Ahmed has given an amazing performance in Test cricket, undoubtedly, and that is the reason he is in the Test cricket team. But his performance in ODIs and other shorter formats is not up to the mark,” said the former chief selector Haroon Rasheed.
In the ICC World Cup of 2019, Sarfaraz was the wicketkeeper and also captained the Pakistan team. His batting performance was decent in the tournament; he managed to score 143 runs in eight matches. After the World Cup, Sarfaraz Ahmad’s performance as a batter and skipper was not up to the mark, and he finally was deprived of the captaincy department of the team.
His exclusion from the 2023 World Cup squad left fans dissatisfied because he is a big player and also an experienced player who could have proven to be crucial for such big tournaments.
4: Zaman Khan
Zaman Khan is an all-rounder who also plays for Peshawar Zalmi. His performance in his PSL debut was remarkable, and so he secured a place in the Pakistan Cricket team.
He made his debut against Sri Lanka in the Asia Cup of 2023, and his tremendous performance in his debut in the big event made him promising for the World Cup. Zaman Khan is a part of the traveling reserves among Abrar Ahmad and Mohammad Harris.
While some fans were unhappy that he was not included in the World Cup squad, some people are satisfied with the decision.
“I am delighted that Zaman, Haris, Abrar, and Sarfaraz were not selected.”
Said former cricketer Rashid Lateef.
5. Mohammad Harris
The young rising star of Pakistan who emerged from Peshawar Zalmi was a part of the traveling reserves among Abrar Ahmad and Zaman Khan. He has not played a single match in the tournament up till now.
Fans are furious over Imam-ul-Haq’s below-average and poor-quality performance, and calls are being made to replace Mohammad Harris with Imam-ul-Haq.
The wicketkeeper-batsman was included in the team as a part of traveling reserves due to Fakhar Zaman’s injury. The 21-year-old Mohammad Harris is quite young and also inexperienced for big events like the World Cup, but the team needed a replacement for Fakhar Zaman, so his name was chosen. We hope to see him playing in the upcoming matches of the tournament.
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