These players will likely be removed for the West Indies Series

By Talat Masood Dec 2, 2021, 12:01 IST

Pakistan's roster for the upcoming limited overs series against the West Indies is expected to be revealed in the next few days. There is expected to be a number of changes in the squad as many of the seasoned players are likely to drop out of the series for various reasons.

Players like Shoaib Malik and Mohammad Hafeez have reportedly withdrawn from the series to play in the Lankan Premier League (LPL), opening the door for a number of Pakistani youth looking to don the national shirt. The national selection committee is also expected to use veteran all-rounder Imad Wasim and wicket keeper batter Sarfaraz Ahmed.

These seasoned players were part of the Pakistani squad for the 2021 T20 World Cup, while Mohammad Hafeez missed the T20I series against Bangladesh.

Sources like Sharjeel Khan, Ahmed Shehzad and Sahibzada Farhan are likely to be named to the national team for the upcoming T20I series. While Sharjeel was an integral part of the squad until the T20 World Cup, the other two batter have not been part of the Pakistani squad in recent years.

Fiery pacemaker Mohammad Hasnain is also expected to join the roster to bolster the fast-paced bowling options. Tempo trio Shaheen Afridi, Hasan Ali and Haris Rauf stood out in the men's green in the shortest format, but two of those three are expected to be rested for the series.

Sources also revealed that players like Shahnawaz Dahani, Usman Qadir and Iftikhar Ahmed will be given more playing time on the series as team management seeks to bring international experience to talented cricketers.