Top 10 funny memes as Pakistan announce their 15-man squad for 2023 ODI World Cup in India
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) formally announced their 15-man squad for the upcoming 2023 ICC ODI World Cup on Friday (September 22). India will host the tournament between October 5 and November 19.
Pakistan will commence their journey in the tournament with the match agaisnt Netherlands on October 6 at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad.
Men in Green have been dealt a huge blow ahead of the World Cup as Naseem Shah is ruled out due to an injury he picked up during the recently concluded Asia Cup. Apart from his absence, there aren't many major surprises in their World Cup squad.
Selectors decided to recall Hasan Ali to replace Naseem Shah in the side. Underfire players Fakhar Zaman and Shadab Khan retained their places even after their poor performances in the recent past.
Pakistan's squad for 2023 World Cup: Babar Azam (c), Shadab Khan (vc) Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Abdullah Shafique, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Saud Shakeel, Iftikhar Ahmed, Salman Ali Agha, Usama Mir, Mohammad Nawaz, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Hasan Ali.
Traveling reserves: Abrar Ahmed, Zaman Khan, Mohammad Haris.
Pakistan cricket fans were not completely satisfied with the squad and criticized a few selection decisions. They expressed their reactions on the matter by sharing memes on social media platforms. Here are some of the best memes:
Pakistan team has been playing with this combination for the past year: Cheif selector Inzamam-ul-Haq
Speaking to reporters after Pakistan's World Cup squad, chief selector Inzamam-ul-Haq put his weight behind the selected players and backed them to come good. He said:
"Pakistan team has been playing with this combination for the past year. I did not want to tweak the combination a lot. I did not want to make too many changes. The three spinners [Shadab Khan, Usama Mir and Mohammad Nawaz] have been with the team and are good players. They need to work harder to be effective in the middle overs, as it is very important for the spinners to play their role in the middle overs."
On Hasan Ali's inclusion, he added:
"Hasan Ali is an experienced bowler, even though he has been out of international cricket for a while. He has performed for Pakistan in mega events. We had to replace Naseem Shah. Hasan Ali can bowl with the new ball and the old ball as well, and he is experienced."
Do you think Pakistan can go all the way and win the 2023 ODI World Cup trophy in India? Let us know your views in the comments section.