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Pakistan, who are one of the favourites to win the Asia Cup 2023 announced their 17-member squad for the continental cricket tournament earlier this month. The six-team tournament will be played from August 30 to September 17, in both Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
Over the course of the last 40 years, Pakistan has managed to win the tournament only twice, with their last triumph coming in 2012. However, in recent times, the Men in Green have improved by leaps and bounds in limited-overs cricket, registering consistent wins against most opponents that they have faced off against.
To achieve their third championship win in the Asia Cup, the Pakistan selectors have picked a balanced squad, with young and experienced players, in the build-up to the ODI World Cup 2023. Babar Azam, one of the best batters in the world, is going to captain the national team, with the likes of Mohammad Rizwan, Imam-ul-Haq, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, and Haris Rauf at his disposal.
Also, there are a few new players added to the Pakistan setup, who could be the stars of the future for the national team, not just in the continental tournament, but in the near future. With that, SportsTiger looks at the Pakistan players who could play their maiden Asia Cup in 2023.
Abdullah Shafique
Abdullah Shafique, who has been a dominant opener in Tests for Pakistan since 2021, made his debut in ODIs in August last year, but since then, he hasn’t had any real success in the format. The 23-year-old could open the innings for Pakistan in the Asia Cup 2023, if one of the established openers for the Men in Green, Fakhar Zaman, or Imam-ul-Haq, misses out on their spot for some unforeseen reason.