Pakistan in T20 World Cup 2022: Predicted Playing XI, Team Preview, Fixtures, Date and Schedule

2009 T20 World Cup champions Pakistan enter the tournament's latest edition in Australia as a side grown in stature and skill over time. Babar Azam & company have developed into a more robust unit with exposure and experience and will be looking to back their impressive run to the semifinals in UAE last year with a title Down Under. 

Pakistan are part of Group 2 of the Super 12 stage of the 16-team competition, set to lock horns with arch-rivals India before taking on South Africa and Bangladesh alongside two preliminary round qualifiers ahead of the semifinals. 

The Asian giants have had a sustained build-up to the main event Down Under. They made the finals of the Asia Cup 2022, played in the T20I format, before facing England in a historic seven-match T20I series at home. Babar's men are currently in New Zealand, gearing up for a rare tri-series that also features Bangladesh. 

They'll move across the Tasman sea on October 15 and play England and Afghanistan in Brisbane on October 17 and 19, respectively, in their two ICC warm-up fixtures. Four days later, they lock horns with India in what is anticipated to be the biggest game of the month-long competition.

Pakistan's T20 World Cup history 

Pakistan Team News for T20 World Cup 2022 

Pakistan have retained their core from the last year's T20 World Cup in UAE for the forthcoming event in Australia bar their longstanding No.3 batter Fakhar Zaman, who is not part of the main squad for the tournament due to injury. 

In place of Zaman, the selectors have given a hard-earned maiden call-up to fellow left-hander Shan Masood, who is expected to play a similar role in the top-order. 

Babar's men also await a fitness clearance for their spearhead Shaheen Afridi, who has been missing from the action since July with a knee injury. Shaheen didn't make the Asia Cup 2022 and missed the England series, too. 

He is also ruled out of the tri-series in New Zealand. But the seamer is expected to finish off his rehab and join the rest of the group in Brisbane on October 15 ahead of the warm-up matches.  

Shaheen's injury absence compelled the selectors to introduce young Naseem Shah into the squad prior to the Asia Cup and the pacer has since been an impressive inclusion to what is a strong fast-bowling group.

T20 World Cup 2022: Pakistan complete squad & reserves

Babar Azam (c), Shadab Khan, Asif Ali, Haider Ali, Haris Rauf, Iftikhar Ahmed, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Wasim, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shan Masood, Usman Qadir. 

Standby Players: Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Haris, Shahnawaz Dahani.

Predicted Pakistan Playing XI

Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Shan Masood, Iftikhar Ahmed, Khushdil Shah, Asif Ali, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf 

Key Players 

Shaheen Afridi: His form upon return from a sustained knee injury rehab will be extremely important to Pakistan's chances. At his best, the young left-arm speedster provides Pakistan early breakthroughs with the new ball and gives them control and precision at the death. 

Shadab Khan: In what happens to be a middle-order unsettled, Shadab's growing ability with the bat will also be critical to Pakistan's cause. The spin allrounder is another pivotal figure in his team's campaign, being their lead wristspinner in the bowling department. 

Pakistan fixtures T20 World Cup 2022: 

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