Babar Azam spells reasons for snubbing Haris and Aamer Jamal

Pakistan cricket team captain Babar Azam has revealed the reasons for the exclusion of Mohammad Haris and Aamer Jamal from the national squad for the upcoming T20I series against Ireland and England, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.

Addressing a news conference at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on Monday ahead of team's departure to Ireland, Babar Azam said that Haris wasn't included due to the abundance of options in the top-order.

"I do agree Mohammad Haris didn't get proper opportunity the way he should have after the 2022 T20 World Cup. However, he did get opportunity in PSL but he didn't perform as per expectations. I am not saying he is a bad player. Everyone goes through a rough patch,” Babar said.

“Furthermore, he plays in the top-order and we already have a lot of players for top-order including me, Rizwan, Saim Ayub and Fakhar Zaman,” he added.

Regarding Aamer Jamal, Babar emphasized the distinction between Test and T20 cricket, acknowledging Jamal's Test performance but suggesting that he needs more matches to refine his skills for the T20 format. "Aamer Jamal performed in Test cricket and Test performance cannot be compared with T20s. He is a fine all-rounder. He needs some more time and more matches under his belt which will get him further polished for T20 cricket," Babar said.

Babar Azam's pre-departure press conference at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore
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In response to a question, Babar Azam said that their full focus is on the upcoming World Cup, and they will give a 100% performance at the mega event.

Babar said that the team's entire focus was on the World Cup, adding in the past they were also determined to bring the trophy home. “We will focus on the fitness of the players during the tour. Haris Rauf is rejoining the team after a rest, hopefully he will perform well,” he said further. 

Babar Azam said Haris Rauf's fitness had improved rapidly. 

The team captain said PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi encouraged them to produce good results, adding that there was no focus on individual issues to win the World Cup. “The World Cup is on the horizon, there is no time for routine policy,” he declared. 

Babar Azam said that Hasan Ali had been selected in the team as a backup, adding this choice had been made in consultation with all seven people on the selection committee. Hasan Ali had been kept in the team only on the basis of his experience, Babar said, adding that the best team would be selected to play all the matches taking place before the World Cup.

“Fast bowlers and spinners will be included according to the conditions,” he asserted. 

It is worth mentioning here that the Pakistan men’s cricket team is currently participating in a three-day training session here ahead of their three-match T20I series against Ireland. The team is scheduled to depart for Dublin on 7 May, where they will play three T20Is at Clontarf on 10, 12, and 14 May 2024. All three matches will start at 3 PM local time.

The three-match away series, followed by four T20Is in England, will serve as a stepping stone for the Green Shirts to boast their preparations for this year’s ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 in the West Indies and the United States of America (USA).

Pakistan squad

Babar Azam (c), Abrar Ahmed, Azam Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Rizwan, Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Salman Agha, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Afridi, Usman Khan