Oct 5, 2021: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Tuesday announced the national team’s schedule for the upcoming T20 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates.

The Pakistani side captained led by Babar Azam will leave for the country on October 15 on a chartered flight. According to the details, the players participating in the National T20 World Cup will move from one bubble to another after the completion of the event.

The much-anticipated World Cup will start on October 17 and the final will be played till November 14 in UAE where India is the official host nation. All members of the national team’s support staff will gather in Lahore on October 8 and will be quarantined for seven days at a local hotel in Lahore.

Bowling consultant Vernon Flanders will arrive in Pakistan on October 7 and join the team in the United Arab Emirates. He will travel to the United Arab Emirates with the national team. Meanwhile, batting consultant Matthew Hayden will join the national team in the UAE.

The cricket board has allowed all members of the national squad to take their families with them to the UAE. The PCB has not yet officially announced the names of the support staff who will accompany the national team to the UAE. According to sources, the cricket board has decided to appoint Saqlain Mushtaq as the head of support staff.

Sources said that Saqlain Mushtaq, fielding coach Abdul Majeed and strength and conditioning coach Dirks Simon will also accompany the team to the bio-safe bubble in the UAE.

The initial squad announced by chief selector Muhammad Waseem inludes;

Babar Azam (captain)
Shadab Khan (vice-captain)
Asif Ali
Azam Khan (wicketkeeper)
Haris Rauf
Hasan Ali
Imad Wasim
Khushdil Shah
Mohammad Hafeez
Mohammad Hasnain
Mohammad Nawaz
Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper)
Mohammad Wasim Jnr
Shaheen Shah Afridi
Sohaib Maqsood

However, after disappointing performances in the National T20 Cup by some of the players selected for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, sources said that the Pakistani selectors have decided to make significant changes in the 15-member squad.

Sources had said that former Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik is likely to be selected in the team, while aggressive batsmen Azam Khan and Sohaib Maqsood are likely to be dropped.

Additonally, Mohammad Hasnain’s chances of retaining his place in the team are also slim due to his poor performance in the National T20 Cup.

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