Pakistan World Cup Squad 2023: The excitement is building as the ICC World Cup 2023 is set to kick off in India on October 5. Pakistan is one of the ten formidable teams that will grace this prestigious tournament, and they are poised to be a strong contender. In the upcoming ICC World Cup, Pakistan will join the ranks of cricketing giants such as India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, England, New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, and the Netherlands. These ten teams will engage in head-to-head battles, competing in a round-robin format during the league stage.
Pakistan is scheduled to play a total of nine matches before the semi-finals of the ICC World Cup 2023. Their journey begins on October 6 with a clash against the Netherlands and concludes with a face-off against England on November 11. In the 2019 World Cup, Pakistan fell short of reaching the semi-finals. This time around, they are determined to make a stronger impression, fueled by their remarkable performance in the T20 World Cup last year in Australia, where they reached the final.
With favorable conditions similar to their home country, thanks to the tournament taking place in India, Pakistan emerges as a strong contender to clinch the title. It's worth noting that Pakistan has not played in India since 2016, adding an extra layer of anticipation.
Pakistan has lifted the ODI World Cup trophy once before, in the memorable 1992 edition. In that championship, Pakistan convincingly defeated England in the final, etching their name in cricketing history. As the journey begins in 2023, Pakistan aspires to recreate that magic.
While Pakistan is yet to officially announce their World Cup squad, it is expected to be quite similar to the squad named for the Asia Cup 2023 a few weeks ago. Babar Azam is set to lead the team, with key players such as Mohammad Rizwan, Shaheen Afridi, and Shadab Khan likely to play pivotal roles.
Babar Azam (C)
Shadab Khan (VC)
Fakhar Zaman
Imam ul Haq
Abdullah Shafique
Mohammad Rizwan (wk)
Agha Salman
Saud Shakeel
Iftikhar Ahmed
Mohammad Nawaz
Usama Mir
Shaheen Afridi
Haris Rauf
Hassan Ali
Mohammad Wasim Jr.
| Date | Match Details | Venue | Time (IST) |
|---|---|---|---|
| October 6 | Pakistan vs Netherlands, 2nd Match | Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad | 14:00 |
| October 10 | Pakistan vs Sri Lanka, 8th Match | Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad | 14:00 |
| October 14 | Pakistan vs India, 12th Match | Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad | 14:00 |
| October 20 | Pakistan vs Australia, 18th Match | M.Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru | 14:00 |
| October 23 | Pakistan vs Afghanistan, 22nd Match | MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai | 14:00 |
| October 27 | Pakistan vs South Africa, 26th Match | MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai | 14:00 |
| October 31 | Pakistan vs Bangladesh, 31st Match | Eden Gardens, Kolkata | 14:00 |
| November 4 | Pakistan vs New Zealand, 35th Match | M.Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru | 10:30 |
| November 11 | Pakistan vs England, 45th Match | Eden Gardens, Kolkata | 14:00 |