Pakistan team director Mickey Arthur has provided a strong hint about Pakistan’s squad for the upcoming Asia Cup and ICC World Cup. The Men in Green are set to participate in the Asia Cup in September, followed by the highly-anticipated World Cup in India in October-November.
The Asia Cup is scheduled to be held from August 31st to September 17th, while the World Cup will take place from October 5th to November 19th. Pakistan is considered one of the favorites for both tournaments.
Although Pakistan hasn’t won either competition in recent years, the side led by Babar Azam has the potential to emerge victorious. With a well-rounded squad at their disposal, Pakistan has the opportunity to go all the way this year. Their last World Cup triumph came in 1992, while their most recent Asia Cup title was secured in 2012.
Mickey Arthur, in an interview with a Pakistan television channel, hinted at the players who are likely to represent Pakistan in these two major events. He stated that the squad would be selected from the players who were part of the series against New Zealand in January this year.
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“The squad that played against New Zealand is the one we will draw from for the Asia Cup and World Cup. Haris Sohail was in that squad but didn’t play due to fitness issues. Some players have recently shown good form, but the squad for these events won’t differ much from the one we had for the New Zealand series,” said Arthur.
“We had around 20 players in that series, and we just need to trim it down to 15. There won’t be much difference because I believe in providing security to the players, which gives them clarity about their roles in the team. I don’t want players to feel uncertain or play with the fear of losing their place,” he added.
When questioned about Pakistan’s concerns regarding the World Cup venues, Arthur expressed satisfaction and said, “We don’t have any issues with the venues. We have a strong enough squad to defeat any team, anywhere. I am really content with the venues.”
With the squad set to be finalized based on the players from the New Zealand series, Pakistan will be hoping for a successful campaign in both the Asia Cup and the World Cup.