Why were Wahab Riaz, Mohammad Amir included in Pakistan’s World Cup squad?

Chief selector Inzamam-ul-Haq announced Pakistan’s final 15-member squad for the upcoming ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 on Monday. Haq confirmed reports that left-arm seamer Wahab Riaz had been selected in place of all-rounder Faheem Ashraf and Mohammad Amir had replaced Junaid Khan.

Commenting on the changes to the squad, Inzamam said no one could have foreseen the type of cricket which was played in England. According to the chief selector, the conditions in England had shown that bowlers who knew how to use the old ball and reverse swing would be more effective.

“Wahab Riaz has experience in this. He knows how to use the old ball and reverse swing. He is a senior bowler. We felt that our bowling was lacking due to experience.”

The chief selector said Wahab Riaz’s inclusion in the side did not reflect panic. “If we need a player for the betterment of the team I will not compromise…We did not see if he [Wahab Riaz] was in the list of 23 players but rather what the requirement of the team was.”

Inzamam added that Wahab Riaz had recently participated in the test match and his performance was different from when he was dropped. “He performed better in the domestic tournament.”

Fast bowler Mohammad Amir included for the England series had initially been dropped from the World Cup squad. While he did not play in the ODI series against England, Amir has performed well in England in the past.

Inzamam also attributed Mohammad Amir’s seniority as a primary reason for the fast bowler's inclusion in the squad.

“He [Mohammad Amir] has vast experience of playing in England. He also has a good economy rate in England,” said Haq.

Pakistan were whitewashed by England in the ODI series in which the batting lineup performed but the bowling and fielding were disappointing. 

Pakistan squad for World Cup

Sarfaraz Ahmed (wicketkeeper and captain), Asif Ali, Babar Azam, Wahab Riaz, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Sohail, Hasan Ali, Imad Wasim, Imam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Hafeez, Mohammad Hasnain, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Afridi, Shoaib Malik