Pakistan announces World Cup squad, backs Farhan despite heavy defeat to India

New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): The Pakistan Cricket Board has announced its 15-member squad for the ICC Under-19 World Cup 2026, to be jointly hosted by Zimbabwe and Namibia. The selectors have expressed confidence in 19-year-old batsman Farhan Yousuf, handing him the captaincy of the team. It is worth noting that under the leadership of Farhan Yousuf, the Pakistan team is currently playing in the Under-19 Asia Cup, where they were recently defeated by the Indian team by a huge margin of 90 runs. This same 15-member squad will also participate in the triangular series to be held in Zimbabwe before the World Cup, which will be played from December 25 to January 6, and the third team in this will be Afghanistan.

Pakistan will begin its World Cup campaign with a match against England on January 16th. Pakistan has been placed in Group B, which includes England, hosts Zimbabwe, and Scotland. Meanwhile, the Indian team is in Group A, meaning cricket fans won't be able to witness the highly anticipated high-voltage clash between India and Pakistan in the group stage. A clash between the two teams will only be possible in the knockout stage. Pakistan has made only one change from the World Cup squad selected for the Asia Cup. Left-arm spinner Mohammad Huzaifa has been replaced by right-arm fast bowler Umar Zaib to add more edge to the bowling attack.

The return of fast bowler Ali Raza to the team is considered crucial, as he will be making his debut in the second consecutive 50-over Under-19 World Cup. Ali Raza performed brilliantly in the 2024 edition, taking 4 wickets for 34 runs against Australia in the semi-final. The Pakistan squad announced for the World Cup includes captain Farhan Yousuf and vice-captain Usman Khan, along with Abdul Subhan, Ali Raza, Daniyal Ali Khan, wicketkeeper Hamza Zahoor, Huzaifa Ahsan, Ahmed Hussain, Ali Hasan Baloch, wicketkeeper Mohammad Shayan, Naqab Shafiq, Sameer Minhas, Umar Zaib, Momin Qamar, and Mohammad Sayyam.