Pakistan’s Asia Cup 2023 roster has seen an update. Saud Shakeel, a middle-order batsman, has been included in the squad, while Tayyab Tahir has been designated as the backup player accompanying the team.
Initially absent from the original 17-player lineup, Saud Shakeel served as the 18th member of the ODI squad during the Afghanistan bilateral series. As for Tayyab Tahir, although initially part of the squad, he did not participate in any matches during the three-game ODI series against Afghanistan. He is set to join the team during the Asia Cup as a reserve member.
Having returned to the ODI squad during the Afghanistan series, Shakeel participated in just one match, managing to accumulate nine runs.
Pakistan is scheduled to commence its Asia Cup journey against Nepal on August 30 in Multan. The team is slated to reach Multan on August 27, while Babar Azam, Imam ul Haq, and Naseem Shah are anticipated to link up with the squad on Monday evening.
The Pakistan squad consists of Babar Azam (captain), Abdullah Shafique, Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Salman Ali Agha, Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Haris, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Usama Mir, Faheem Ashraf, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Afridi, Saud Shakeel, and Tayyab Tahir (as the traveling reserve).
