T20 World Cup: Shoaib Akhtar backs squad, emphasises on Shoaib Malik’s selection

• 'This looks like a serious squad, Pakistan should be able to make a mark' the former cricketer says.
• Rawalpindi Express of Pakistan Friday achieved the milestone of 4-million Twitter followers.
• "Selectors have given stability to the middle order by bringing Sarfaraz Ahmed back in place of Azam Khan," he Shoaib Akhtar says.

Former Pakistani fast-bowler Shoaib Akhtar has expressed his satisfaction with the changes in the T20 World Cup squad, saying “now this looks like a very serious squad and Pakistan should be able to make a mark.”

The Rawalpindi Express of Pakistan Friday achieved the milestone of gaining 4 million followers on Twitter after which he conducted a live question and answer session with his fans through the hashtag #ShoaibAkhtar4million.

Fans questioned the former cricketer about his opinion on the changes in the squad to which he replied that “Shoaib Malik is still important.”

Sharing a 45-seconds video clip, Akhtar said that the selectors have given "stability" to the middle order by bringing Sarfaraz Ahmed back in place of Azam Khan.

However, he reiterated that there is still another change left to be made: Shoaib Malik should have been included in the squad.

Akhtar recalled that he earlier suggested that if Shoaib Malik, Fakhar Zaman, Shahnawaz Dahani, and Sharjeel Khan are included in the team, then “Pakistan would definitely win the T20 World Cup”.

“Even if Fakhar and Sharjeel play 10 overs in partnership, Pakistan would make a mark in the UAE,” he mentioned.

Changes to squad finalised by PCB

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Friday announced the final squad for the ICC Men's T20 Cricket World Cup.

According to the changes made by PCB in the final 15, Fakhar Zaman has been included in the side, besides Haider Ali and Sarfaraz Ahmed.

Muhammad Hasnain has been dropped, whereas Shahnawaz Dahani and Khushdil Shah have been included in the list of reserve players along with Usman Qadir.

The national squad selected for the World Cup will enter a bio-secure bubble today. The players will spend one day in isolation after getting tested for coronavirus.

The team will be trained for the tournament at the National High-Performance Centre (NHPC) from Sunday.

The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 will be held in the United Arab Emirates from October 17 to November 14. Pakistan is in Group 2 and will open their campaign against India on October 24 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.