Cricket
Squads confirmed for the ICC Champions Trophy
Until the 24th of May, teams can still make changes to their squads without the approval of the cricket’s world governing body.
The International Cricket Council (ICC), the sport’s world governing body, confirmed on Wednesday the squads which will be taking part in the upcoming Champions Trophy.
The One Day International (ODI) tournament will be taking place in England and Wales from 1-18 of June.
Shoaib Malik to make his sixth appearance
Pakistan’s all-rounder, Shoaib Malik, has been selected to make his sixth consecutive appearance in the short tournament.
Only eight other players in the history of the trophy have participated six times: Ricky Ponting (Australia), Rahul Dravid (India), Daniel Vettori (New Zealand), Mark Boucher (South Africa), Jacques Kallis (South Africa), Sanath Jayasuriya (Sri Lanka), Mahela Jayawardena (Sri Lanka) and Kumar Sangakkara (Sri Lanka).
“The Champions Trophy is one of the most important events for Pakistan in recent times for a number of reasons. As the ODI squad, we need to re-establish ourselves as one of the top ODI sides by putting up strong performances against all teams.
“In this perspective, I think I personally have a bigger role to play in the tournament than just performing with the bat and the ball. I need to help the younger guys to overcome their nerves and showcase the talent they possess to themselves and the world that'll be watching,” said Shoaib.
Yuvraj Singh will return after 11 years
India’s Yuvraj Singh will be returning to the competition after 11 years. He made his debut in the 2002 event in Kenya and was also featured for the 2004 in England and for the 2006 in India. However, due to injuries, he missed the 2009 and 2013 competitions.
“I am delighted to be returning to the India side for the 50-over ICC tournament and look forward to making a meaningful contribution as the side aims to defend its title,” said Yuvraj.
South Africa’s Tabraiz Shamsi omitted
As one of the main surprises, the renowned Proteas’ spinner, Tabraiz Shamsi, was overlooked in favor of uncapped Keshav Mahraj.
“Naturally, it is quite disappointing not to be selected. It did come as a bit of a shock but whatever's done is done, I'm fully behind the team and I know they can go out there and win the Champions Trophy. The squad that we have is quite strong and I'm looking forward to watching the boys bring the trophy back home for the people of South Africa,” mentioned Shamsi in an interview.
The Proteas, who will be led by AB de Villiers, will begin their Champions Trophy campaign against Sri Lanka on the 3rd of June.
Squads
Teams can still make changes to their squads until the 24th of May. All player replacements from the 25th of May onwards will require the approval of the ICC.
As of May the 10th, the squads are as follows:
AUSTRALIA: Steve Smith (captain), David Warner, Pat Cummins, Aaron Finch, John Hastings, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Moises Henriques, Chris Lynn, Glenn Maxwell, James Pattinson, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Matthew Wade and Adam Zampa.
BANGLADESH: Masrafe Mortaza (captain), Imrul Kayes, Mahmudullah, Mehedi Hasan Miraj, Mosaddek Hossain, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mustafizur Rahman, Rubel Hossain, Sanjamul Islam, Sabbir Rahman, Shafiul Islam, Shakib Al Hasan, Soumya Sarker, Tamim Iqbal and Taskin Ahmed.
ENGLAND: Eoin Morgan (captain), Moeen Ali, Jonny Bairstow, Jake Ball, Sam Billings, Jos Buttler, Alex Hales, Liam Plunkett, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes, David Willey, Chris Woakes and Mark Wood.
INDIA: Virat Kohli (captain), Ravichandran Ashwin, Jasprit Bumrah, Shikhar Dhawan, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Ravindra Jadeja, Kedar Jadhav, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Hardik Pandya, Manish Pandey, Ajinkya Rahane, Mohammad Shami, Rohit Sharma, Yuvraj Singh and Umesh Yadav.
NEW ZEALAND: Kane Williamson (captain), Corey Anderson, Trent Boult, Neil Broom, Colin de Grandhomme, Martin Guptill, Tom Latham, Mitchell McClenaghan, Adam Milne, Jimmy Neesham, Jeetan Patel, Luke Ronchi, Mitchell Santner, Tim Southee and Ross Taylor.
PAKISTAN: Sarfraz Ahmad (captain), Ahmad Shahzad, Azhar Ali, Babar Azam, Fahim Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Hassan Ali, Imad Wasim, Junaid Khan, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Hafeez, Shadab Khan, Shoaib Malik, Umar Akmal and Wahab Riaz.
SOUTH AFRICA: AB de Villiers (captain), Hashim Amla, Farhaan Behardien, JP Duminy, Quinton de Kock, Faf du Plessis, Keshav Maharaj, David Miller, Morne Morkel, Chris Morris, Wayne Parnell, Andile Phehlukwayo, Dwaine Pretorius, Kagiso Rabada and Imran Tahir.
SRI LANKA: Angelo Mathews (captain), Dinesh Chandimal, Niroshan Dickwella, Asela Gunaratne, Chamara Kapugedera, Nuwan Kulasekera, Suranga Lakmal, Lasith Malinga, Kusal Mendis, Nuwan Pradeep, Seekkuge Prasanna, Kusal Perera, Thisara Perera, Lakshan Sandakan and Upul Tharanga.