Salman Mirza’s Omission Sparks Debate

The exclusion of Pakistan’s left-arm fast bowler, Salman Mirza, from the national squad for the forthcoming three-match T20I series against the West Indies next month has drawn criticism from cricket enthusiasts.

Mirza marked his international entry in the recently concluded T20I series against Bangladesh, which Pakistan lost 2-1.

The 31-year-old made a positive impression with his exceptional bowling, finishing as the leading wicket-taker in the series. He secured seven wickets in three matches with an economy rate of 5.21.

Ahmed Daniyal, another debutant in the series, was also notably left out. Daniyal took three wickets in two matches with an economy of 5.57 and added 17 runs at a strike rate of 154.54.

A Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) representative clarified that the return of experienced fast bowlers like Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf, and Hasan Ali influenced the decision to exclude Mirza, despite his impressive performance.

On Friday, the PCB unveiled Pakistan’s squads for the West Indies tour, featuring three T20 Internationals and three One-Day Internationals.

Mohammad Rizwan will continue to captain the ODI team, with the selection committee announcing a 16-member squad for the series. All-rounder Salman Ali Agha will lead the T20I team.

The ODI squad also includes changes from the previous series against New Zealand in March-April, which Pakistan lost 3-0.

Pakistan T20I Squad:

Salman Ali Agha (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Hasan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Haris (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Sahibzada Farhan (wk), Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufyan Moqim

Pakistan ODI Squad:

Mohammad Rizwan (captain), Salman Ali Agha (vice-captain), Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Hasan Ali, Hasan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Mohammad Haris (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufyan Moqim