Pakistan squad for T20 World Cup 2024 announced by...

Former Pakistan right-arm pacer Waqar Younis has announced his own 15-man Pakistani squad for the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup 2024 later this June. 

Waqar Younis not only included those players who are currently playing in the 5-match T20I series against New Zealand but also those who are currently injured. The Men in Green will be aiming to get their hands on the T20 World Cup trophy which has eluded them since they won it during the 2009 edition. 

Pakistan aiming to get over their trophy drought

In fact, Pakistan had reached extremely close or closer than ever to claim the trophy in the previous two editions in 2021 and 2022. In the 2021 edition when the T20 WC took place in UAE, Babar Azam's side were eliminated by Australia in the semi-finals.

The following year (2022), the Pakistanis reached the final at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in the most dramatic of situations. 

The Men in Green were initially on the verge of getting eliminated from the Group stages but they went on to reach the semis and then in the finale.

And as they were aiming to finally clinch their first ICC trophy since 2017, Jos Buttler's England denied stood in their way. The Three Lions won their 2nd white-ball trophy in 3 years after winning the Cricket World Cup in 2019. 

So all these reasons make this T20 WC in the USA and West Indies an important one for Pakistan. But their preparatory matches in the build-up to the 20-team event are not going as planned.

In the 4th T20I against the Kiwis last night in Lahore, Babar's men suffered their second consecutive defeat after losing the 3rd T20I by 7-wickets. 

The full-strength Pakistani side lost to an inexperienced Blackcaps team by 4 runs and heading into the 5th T20I, the hosts trail in the series by 2-1. 

Waqar Younis picks his 15-man Pakistan squad

In the pre-match show of Pakistan and New Zealand's 4th T20I at the Gaddafi Stadium, Waqar Younis disclosed his picks for Pakistan's 15-man squad. Among the batters, Younis chose captain Babar Azam along with Mohammad Rizwan, Usman Khan, Azam Khan, Fakhar Zaman, and Saim Ayub. 

Among the spin-bowling all-rounders, Waqar Younis chose Iftikhar Ahmed, Shadab Khan, and Imad Wasim along with wrist spinners Abrar Ahmed and Usama Mir. Among the pacers, Younis made obvious choices of Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Mohammad Amir and Haris Rauf. 

On paper, this squad looks very threatening as Pakistan seems to have all of their bases covered but the main question is - will they reflect this on the pitch? With Babar Azam coming back as the captain, the Green Army does have an experienced leader with them. 

But the last time Pakistan played in an ICC event under Babar's captaincy, they were knocked out of the league stages itself. The team is no more what it was in 2021 and 2022 and it will be interesting to see if Waqar Younis' prophecy about the Pakistani squad proves right. 

Waqar Younis Pakistan squad for T20 World Cup 2024

Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Rizwan, Usman Khan, Azam Khan, Iftikhar Ahmed, Shadab Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Saim Ayub, Imad Wasim, Abrar Ahmed, Usama Mir, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Mohammad Amir, Haris Rauf