The Pakistani squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup can be changed if need be, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chief Selector Mohammad Wasim said Friday.
The chief selector said the management had not mulled over changing the T20 squad, and hoped the team could reach the tournament's finals.
"I can see the team playing in the semi-finals and finals of the T20 World Cup [...] we can win this T20 World Cup," the chief selector said.
The PCB had come under fire after announcing the squad, sources said that skipper Babar Azam was unhappy over the team selection.
Former Pakistani cricket team captain Shahid Afridi had also termed Pakistan’s T20 squad selection "surprising", saying the selection of some players and dropping a few would have made the squad "perfect".
However, reacting to the reports of Azam being unhappy with the squad, the PCB termed them as "factually incorrect".
"It has come to our notice that factually incorrect reports are circulating about the Pakistan national squad environment," PCB CEO Wasim Khan said in a statement earlier this week.
Meanwhile, the chief selector said expected PCB Chairman Ramiz Raja cannot interfere in the team selection process. "I have not spoken to Raja about the new selection committee."
Talking about all-rounder Shadab Khan, the chief selector said there were doubts over his performance and fitness, but he had gained rhythm during the recently concluded West Indies series.
"It is not right to say that Wasim Akram had helped me land a job in the board [...] after becoming the chief selector, my contact with him has reduced," Wasim added.
