After winning three titles in the space of five seasons between 2012 and 2017, there has been little for Western Zone fans to cheer about at the Country Championship.

But Qureshi is confident of Western's chances in 2021-22 after a 14-man squad was released on Monday.

Qureshi has stayed on as captain and will lead a group loaded with proven performers and a number of players who have returned home after experiencing a higher level away from country cricket.

Western will play Illawarra, Riverina, and ACT Southern Districts at the three-day Southern Pool carnival at Shoalhaven from February 4-6 and Qureshi is determined to do the region proud.

"For me, on a personal level, it's been a tough two seasons but it's a job I felt an obligation to continue," Qureshi said.

"With this squad, there's been a bit of an investment put in and there's some guys who have come back, if we play our best cricket we'll be pretty hard to beat."

Boom Dubbo all-rounder and former Australian Indigenous representative Ben Patterson is one of the players set to line up for Western again after a stint away from home.

Patterson is back with club side CYMS after spending time in NSW Premier Cricket in Sydney and his impact has been immediate.

In one simply incredible individual showing prior to Christmas Patterson blasted 101 not out from 39 balls and took 5/24 in the one game and it's performances like that which have Qureshi excited.

"Obviously Ben Patterson is a standout," Qureshi said.

"I'd say he's the best all-rounder in NSW country cricket and he's just a very talented cricketer."

While CYMS' Hugh Le Lievre is the only Orange player in the main squad, Patterson is one of six Dubbo-based players in the squad alongside vice-captain and former NSW Country representative Mitch Bower, Marty Jeffrey, Mat Skinner, Ben Wheeler and Brock Larance, who is also back after a season in Sydney.

Gilgandra's Matt Everett, a former opening bat partner of David Warner at Randwick-Petersham, is also in after impressing with a half-century in his one Western Zone Premier League (WZPL) match for Dubbo earlier in the month.

As two-time defending champions in the WZPL, Bathurst is also well represented in the squad.

Nic Broes is in after a stint playing in Canberra while Ryan Peacock, Connor Slattery, and Mitch Taylor will also pull on a baggy blue alongside Qureshi while Orange all-rounder Hugh Le Lievre and Parkes quick Brent Tucker round out the squad.

"You run through the whole list and there's some special cricketers so it's hard to single too many out," Qureshi added.

"I was talking to Mitchy Bower about it. I won one (Country Championship) with Western Zone in 2012-13 and I think he's won a couple but he said it's probably the strongest squad since then.

"It looks red-hot."

Dubbo duo Bailey Edmunds and Tom Coady are among four reserves for the squad alongside Bathurst young gun Bailey Brien and Orange's Ed Morrish.

Western starts its Southern Pool carnival against Illawarra at the Bernie Reagan Sports Ground on February 4.

All Country Championship matches are one-day 50-over contests.

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