Pakistan players who could play maiden Asia Cup in 2023

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. #PAGE_BREAK# Salman Ali Agha Salman Ali Agha has had a great start to his international career, after debuting in both Tests and ODIs in 2022. The 29-year-old is expected to be a big part of the Pakistan setup in the coming years, so it is highly likely that he will be batting in the middle order for the national team in the Asia Cup 2023. #PAGE_BREAK# Mohammad Haris Mohammad Haris, the 22-year-old has a bright future ahead of him as a player in the Pakistan cricket team, thanks to his insane talent with the bat and behind the stumps. He is set to captain the Men in Green in the Asian Games 2023, which could easily persuade the team management to give him a match against a less fancied team like Nepal in the Asia Cup 2023 group stages. #PAGE_BREAK# Tayyab Tahir Tayyab Tahir boasts a lot of experience at the domestic level in Pakistan, without playing much cricket for the national team in internationals. The 30-year-old made his debut in the T20I format in March of this year, which could lead him to get an unexpected ODI debut during the Asia Cup 2023. #PAGE_BREAK# Saud Shakeel Saud Shakeel, the 27-year-old, began his Test career like a runaway train a few months ago, scoring runs at an average of more than 80 in eight matches. Before that, he had played three times in ODIs for Pakistan in the middle order, so, a spot in the national team isn’t out of the question for him, when the Asia Cup 2023 comes around later this month. #PAGE_BREAK# Usama Mir Usama Mir, the leg-spin bowler has shown a lot of promise since he made his debut in ODIs in January of this year. The 27-year-old has picked up 11 wickets in eight matches in the format, which could persuade the team management to give him consistent game-time alongside Shadab Khan, the leader of the spin bowling department, in the Asia Cup 2023. #PAGE_BREAK# Mohammad Wasim Jr Mohammad Wasim Jr. has been a consistent squad player for Pakistan in the last two years, getting his chances to represent the country in all formats of cricket in the absence of the fancied fast bowlers, including the likes of Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, and Haris Rauf. The 22-year-old has decent stats in Tests, ODIs, and T20Is thus far, which could lead him to getting a chance of playing in the Asia Cup 2023 for Pakistan, in the absence of a member of the aforementioned fast bowling trio.

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Pakistan players who could play maiden Asia Cup in 2023