Sports Desk:
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) today announced a 16-member squad for the T20 series against Bangladesh. Pakistan’s star pacers returned with the Bangladesh series. However, cricketers like Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan did not find a place in this series.
Salman Ali Agha will lead Pakistan in the Bangladesh series. Shadab Khan will serve as vice-captain. Hussain Talat is returning to international cricket after four years with this series. The T20 match in 2021 will be Talat’s last match in the Pakistan jersey. And pacers like Naseem Shah and Hasan Ali are returning to international T20s with the Bangladesh series. Both pacers last played T20s in the Pakistan jersey in 2024. Whereas Pakistan last played T20s against New Zealand in March this year.
Fakhar Zaman, Saim Ayub, and Hasan Nawaz will be in the batting lineup. He set the record for the fastest century in T20Is for Pakistan in March this year. Saim’s part-time spin bowling may be effective. Another leg-spinner, Abrar Ahmed, will be in this series along with Shadab. Salman can turn the match around as a spin bowling all-rounder. Left-arm spin bowling all-rounder Khushdil Shah is in this series. He is quite capable of creating a storm towards the end.
Another batter, Muhammad Irfan Khan, who is used to batting in the middle order, is in the Bangladesh series. Mohammad Haris is the wicket-keeper batter. Sahibzada Farhan, who hit a flood of centuries in Pakistan’s domestic cricket a few days ago, has been included in the Bangladesh series team. However, star pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi has not found a place in this series. The pace bowling department will have to be led by Naseem-Hasan. Fahim Ashraf is with Talat as a pace bowling all-rounder.
Pakistan’s white-ball head coach Mike Hesson’s first assignment is starting with the Bangladesh series. According to Pakistani media, the three-match Bangladesh-Pakistan series will be played at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. The full schedule of the series will be announced soon.
Pakistan’s team for the T20 series against Bangladesh
Salman Ali Agha (captain), Shadab Khan (vice-captain), Abrar Ahmed, Fahim Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Hasan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Haris (wicketkeeper), Mohammad Wasim Jr., Mohammad Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan (wicketkeeper-batsman), Saim Ayub
