With an extremely strong bowling attack and some batting power to pair, can Pakistan make a run deep into the finals, as they did in the 2022 T20 World Cup? Led by the brilliant Babar Azam, Pakistan will look to go one step further and hoist the 2024 T20 World Cup trophy! Get the inside scoop on Pakistan's Cricket Squad for the upcoming GameDay Squad Fantasy Cricket competition with our in-depth analysis and preview. Discover which players to watch out for!
Squad
Average is based on all T20 Internationals in the last 12 months.
Shadab Khan - All-Rounder - 37.5 GameDay Squad fantasy average
Mohammad Rizwan - Wicket-Keeper - 44.9 GameDay Squad fantasy average
Babar Azam - Batsman - 53.7 GameDay Squad fantasy average
Haris Rauf - Bowler - 46.4 GameDay Squad fantasy average
Shaheen Afridi - Bowler - 65.4 GameDay Squad fantasy average
Fakhar Zaman - Batsman - 50.1 GameDay Squad fantasy average
Iftikhar Ahmed - All-Rounder - 24.5 GameDay Squad fantasy average
Abrar Ahmed - Bowler - 29.0 GameDay Squad fantasy average
Azam Khan - Wicket-Keeper - 17.9 GameDay Squad fantasy average
Imad Wasim - All-Rounder - 32.2 GameDay Squad fantasy average
Abbas Afridi - Bowler - 46.6 GameDay Squad fantasy average
Mohammad Amir - Bowler - 27.7 GameDay Squad fantasy average
Naseem Shah - Bowler - 29.5 GameDay Squad fantasy average
Saim Ayub - Batsman - 25.3 GameDay Squad fantasy average
Usman Khan - Batsman - 21.8 GameDay Squad fantasy average
Batters
Pakistan have four available batsman to choose from in GameDay Squad with one name shining above all others! Fakhar Zaman, Saim Ayub and Usman Khan may prove to be match-up starters but Babar Azam is the only name that stands out here.
Babar Azam - Batsman
Usman Khan - Batsman
Fakhar Zaman - Batsman
Saim Ayub - Batsman
Frankly, the key to this well-oiled Pakistan machine is going to be captain, Babar Azam! Luckily for Pakistan fans, the man has stepped up time and time again! Ranked 4th overall in the latest ICC T20I Batting rankings and owning a T20I Batting average of a whopping 41.10 runs per match, it’s clear based on the numbers alone, how imperative Babar is to Pakistan’s and your GameDay Squad’s success! It is worth noting that Babar is slated to demote himself to the no.3 slot in the batting order, but fear not, if any man can deal with a change of scenery coming into a World Cup, it’s Babar Azam.
Bowlers
Pakistan boast a formidable bowling attack for this year’s T20 World Cup. Led by Shaheen Afridi, he’ll be joined by Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Amir, Naseem Shah, Abrar Ahmed and Haris Rauf. All will prove to be valuable at different stages of the tournament.
Shaheen Afridi - Bowler
Abbas Afridi - Bowler
Mohammad Amir - Bowler
Naseem Shah - Bowler
Abrar Ahmed - Bowler
Haris Rauf - Bowler
As aforementioned, leading the attack will be 24-year-old maestro Shaheen Afridi. Afridi has been so incredibly destructive so far in his early career! The Lahore Qalandars captain has claimed an eye-watering 91 wickets through just 65 matches in T20 internationals so far, whilst going at an economy of 7.74! This elite bowling makes Afridi a lock for death bowling, which we know is where a lot of wickets come from, he’s a lock for me and he’ll be a player card who features a lot in your GameDay Squad!
Afridi’s Lahore teammate Haris Rauf also presents as an exciting prospect for the 2024 T20 world cup! Currently ranked 27th overall on the latest ICC T20I bowling rankings (Second amongst Pakistan’s bowling attack, behind Shaheen Afridi) expect Rauf to bowl 4 over consistently in this world cup, opposite of Shaheen Afridi’s overs. The two are going to take a lot of wickets, especially in a group that feature USA, Canada and Ireland!
All-rounders
Just three All-Rounders to pick from amongst Pakistan’s ranks for the 2024 T20 World Cup! Shadab Khan, Iftikhar Ahmed and Imad Wasim round out the All-Rounders!
Imad Wasim - All-Rounder
Iftikhar Ahmed - All-Rounder
Shadab Khan - All-Rounder
The real weakness within this Pakistan squad is the middle-order and where runs are going to be coming from, so I think targeting All-Rounders with more potential to take wickets is the play for this tournament. Enter Shadab Khan, who is the third highest ranked bowler on the latest ICC T20I rankings, playing 33rd globally! Just behind Shaheen Afridi and Haris Rauf. And as mentioned, while his batting average of 18 runs per innings leaves a little to be desired, it’s the fact that he has 107 wickets through 99 games which is the real allure, any runs are a welcomed addition!
Wicket Keeper
While he does share half the same name as Babar, the only wicket-keeper to talk about within Pakistan’s ranks is of course, Mohammad Rizwan.
Mohammad Rizwan - Wicket-Keeper
Azam Khan - Wicket-Keeper
Mohammad Rizwan is one of the most exciting batsman in world-cricket. He’s bruising and powerful but he also has a touch of flamboyance that elevates him above his peers. Rizwan has managed to total a T20I average of 49.68! Making him one of, if not, the best option at the wicket-keeper position for this World Cup. I fully expect Rizwan to open the batting (with a new partner) giving him every chance to either maintain or better his 49.68 average. Lock and load, Rizwan is a superstar.
Predicted Starting XI
Mohammad Rizwan
Saim Ayub
Babar Azam
Fakhar Zaman
Shadab Khan
Iftikhar Ahmed
Imad Wasim
Shaheen Afridi
Mohammad Amir
Naseem Shah
Haris Rauf
