Shahid Afridi has admitted to being surprised by Pakistan’s decision to omit Mohammad Amir and Wahab Riaz from their World Cup squad. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) revealed their 15-man preliminary squad for this summer’s 50-over tournament in England on Thursday.
Amir was in the initial 23-man squad and still has a chance to reverse the selectors’ decision should he impress in the five-match ODI series against England ahead of the World Cup, but fellow pace bowler Wahab was left out completely.
The decision to leave out Amir will be down to his recent struggles in one-day cricket given he is wicketless in nine of the 14 ODIs he has featured in since Pakistan won the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy in England. However, former all-rounder Afridi believes his vast experience of playing in England and Wahab’s good pace suggests it will have been difficult to leave them out.
Afridi wrote on Twitter: “Must’ve been a tough decision for selection committee to select the best 15-member squad for the World Cup. Best of luck to those who have made it – hopefully you’ll bring the cup home. “Personally, I’ll miss Wahab Riaz because of pace and Mohammad Amir given the English conditions,” he added.
