Pakistan recall Rauf for England series ahead of T20 World Cup

Pakistan have recalled fast bowler Haris Rauf and all-rounder Hasan Ali for
this month’s T20 tour of England and Ireland.

Rauf has been injured since February and is still working back to full fitness, while Ali – currently playing for Warwickshire on an overseas deal – is back in the fold having last played the format in 2022.

Salman Ali Agha also returns in an 18-man squad, which will play three games in Dublin before a four-match series in England prior to the T20 World Cup, live on Sky Sports.

Spinner Usama Mir and seamer Zaman Khan are two to miss out from the squad that faced New Zealand last month, while Pakistan will have to trim three more players from their roster ahead of the T20 World Cup in the West Indies and United States.

With Rauf, key batter Mohammad Rizwan, Irfan Khan and Azam Khan all coming back from recent fitness issues, the make-up of the final 15 could be determined by their recovery.

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Azam missed out on the drawn series against New Zealand because of a calf muscle injury he sustained on the eve of the first T20 at Rawalpindi, while Rizwan and Irfan both were ruled out of the last two T20s against the Black Caps because of niggles sustained during the third game.

Pakistan squad: Babar Azam (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Azam Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Rizwan, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usman Khan.

Pakistan will confirm their 15-man T20 World Cup squad after the first T20I at Leeds on May 22 ahead of the ICC’s deadline later that week.

Who will feature for England?

England named a provisional 15-man squad for the T20 World Cup and the preceding four-match T20 series with Pakistan, with Jofra Archer included despite not featuring for England since last March and having not played competitive cricket for a year due to an elbow injury.

Tom Hartley provides an extra spin option to established duo Adil Rashid and Moeen Ali for Jos Buttler’s side, while Mark Wood and Reece Topley join Archer and veteran Chris Jordan to make up the seam department.

2022’s player of the tournament Sam Curran and Liam Livingstone are the all-rounders, with Harry Brook also returning from their previous T20 World Cup win, with Jonny Bairstow, Phil Salt and Will Jacks all featuring after impressing in the Indian Premier League in recent weeks.

England’s provisional T20 World Cup squad

Jos Buttler (c), Moeen Ali, Jofra Archer, Jonny Bairstow, Harry Brook, Sam Curran, Ben Duckett, Tom Hartley, Will Jacks, Chris Jordan, Liam Livingstone, Adil Rashid, Phil Salt, Reece Topley, Mark Wood

When are Pakistan’s fixtures in England and Ireland?

Pakistan will have a three-day training camp in Lahore from May 4-6 ahead of travelling to Dublin on May 7, with the three-match T20I series in Dublin getting under way on May 10.

Further matches take place on May 12 and May 14, with the four-match series with England starting at Headingley on May 22 before continuing to Edgbaston (May 25), Cardiff (May 28) and The Oval (May 30).

The series with England and the T20 World Cup are both live on Sky Sports. Pakistan begin their World Cup campaign against the USA in Texas on June 6 ahead of back-to-back games in New York against India (June 9) and Canada (June 11), before they round off the group campaign against Ireland in Florida on June 16.

England begin their title defence against Scotland in Barbados on June 4, ahead of playing Australia at the same venue on June 8. They then face Oman in Antigua on June 13 and Namibia in the same place two days later, with the top two from the group then progressing to the Super 8s.

Watch every match from the T20 World Cup, plus England’s four-match T20I series at home to Pakistan in May, live on Sky Sports Cricket or stream with NOW.

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