ICC T20I team: Babar Azam named captain; no Indian player included

DUBAI: International Cricket Council (ICC) has named Babar Azam as captain of the T20I team 2021. No Indian player has been included in the team.   

 Babar has played 29 matches and aggregated 939 runs at an average of 37.56 with one century and nine half-centuries. His captaincy was also praised as he led his team to the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup in UAE and Oman.

Two Australian players Mitchell Marsh and Josh Hazlewood have made it to the tam. Besides Babar,  Mohammad Rizwan, and Shaheen Shah Afridi, have also been included in the team.

Pakistan wicketkeeper-batter ruled the roost in 2021 when it came to the shortest format of the game. Aggregating a staggering 1326 runs in only 29 matches, Rizwan struck at an average of 73.66 and a strike rate of 134.89.

He also played a key role behind the stumps, when helped Pakistan to reach semis during the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021, where he ended up as the third-highest run-scorer.

Extracting brilliant movement with the new ball Shaheen Afridi picked up 23 wickets in 21 matches at an average of 26.04 and an economy of 7.86.

Shaheen is likely to lead the Pakistan pace bowling unit for years to come. With rapid improvements in his bowling, he will undoubtedly prove to be a fearsome prospect.