Just three days before the start of the 2023 Asia Cup, Pakistan made a key change to their squad by dropping 30-year-old Tayyab Tahir from the main squad and including Saud Shakeel in the mix. Tahir was initially named in Pakistan's 17-member squad for the continental competition while Shakeel was part of the Men in Green's set-up for the recently-concluded series against Afghanistan but was not named in the Asia Cup squad.
With Shakeel taking a spot in the 17-member main squad, Tahir has been kept as a traveling reserve and will be around the team during the tournament.
When it comes to Shakeel's numbers in ODI cricket, the left-handed batter is still a greenhorn in the format. He has scored 76 runs in six ODIs with the help of one half-century. The 27-year-old has become a revelation in the Pakistan Test side after emerging as one of the pivotal cogs in the middle order with consistent performances.
Shakeel's record in red-ball international cricket is stupendous. He has played seven Test matches so far, scoring 875 runs in the process at a staggering average of 87.50, including six fifties and two centuries.
When it comes to List A cricket, Shakeel's numbers over a period of time reflect that he has the skill set to replicate his Test performances into significant returns in ODIs. He has scored 2,489 runs in 69 innings at an average of 44.44 with the help of 20 half-centuries and four tons.
Shakeel's inclusion can also be viewed as a strategic change by Pakistan's think tank. The Men in Green's middle order is filled with right-handed batters. Fakhar Zaman and Imam-ul-Haq are the two left-handed pure batters and the duo opens the innings for Babar Azam & Co. Shakeel, being a left-handed batter, can come in handy against spin bowlers, who turn the ball inside, like a Ravindra Jadeja.
The Asia Cup tournament is scheduled to begin on August 30 with Pakistan slated to lock horns against Nepal on the opening day.
Pakistan Asia Cup squad: Babar Azam (c), Shadab Khan, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Saud Shakeel, Fakhar Zaman, Abdullah Shafique, Imam-ul-Haq, Saud Shakeel, Salman Ali Agha, Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Nawaz, Usama Mir, Haris Rauf, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Afridi, Mohammad Haris (wk), Faheem Ashraf, Mohammad Wasim.
Travelling reserve: Tayyab Tahir
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