Pakistan men’s three-match T20 International series against Bangladesh will begin on Sunday with the remaining two games to be staged on May 22 and 24 at Dhaka’s Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said on Saturday.
Last month, Pakistan had whitewashed Bangladesh in a home three-match T20I series at the Gaddafi Stadium. Litton Das-led Bangladesh will take the field on the back of an away 2-1 T20I series triumph over Sri Lanka last week.
Pakistan are visiting Bangladesh for the first time since December 2021 as they arrived in the country on Wednesday, after taking part in an extensive training camp in Karachi, the PCB said.
“Pakistan and Bangladesh will lock horns in a three-match T20I series beginning on Sunday, May 20,” the press release issued on Saturday said.
“Salman Ali Agha, who has so far led Pakistan in 12 T20Is, will marshal the side in fourth T20I series,” it added.
The pace duo of Ahmed Daniyal and Mohammad Salman Mirza are the two uncapped players in Pakistan’s squad and will be in line to make their international debuts during the series.
“The overall T20I record between Pakistan and Bangladesh depicts the former’s domination as they have won 19 out of 22 T20Is since the first clash between both sides in September 2007 in Nairobi,” the PCB said.
“We have changed the way we want to play but knowing the conditions is going to be the key,” skipper Salman said at a pre-match presser.
He added that if the conditions allow them to play aggressively then they would surely play that way and in case the conditions were different then the team would go about it accordingly.
“In our training we have tried to make sure that we experience match-like situations in order to get game ready,” he added.
“Bangladesh are a tough opposition especially in their home conditions. We know what the challenges are going to be thrown at us and we are very excited to play here,” Salman said.
Earlier in the month, the PCB announced a 15-member squad for the series, with five frontline players including former captains Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan and Shaheen Shah Afridi omitted for a second series in a row.
Vice-captain Shadab Khan and fast bowler Haris Rauf were also ruled out due to fitness issues. Shadab is recovering from shoulder surgery in England, while Haris sustained a hamstring injury during a T20 league match in the United States last week.
Babar, Rizwan, and Shaheen were left out again as the selectors continue to experiment with new faces ahead of the ICC T20 World Cup, scheduled for February-March next year in India and Sri Lanka.
Squads:
Pakistan: Salman Ali Agha (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Ahmed Daniyal, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Hassan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Haris (wicket-keeper), Mohammad Nawaz, Sahibzada Farhan (wicket-keeper), Saim Ayub, Salman Mirza and Sufyan Moqim.
Bangladesh: Litton Das (captain/wicket-keeper), Jaker Ali Anik, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Mohammad Naim Sheikh, Mohammad Saifuddin, Mustafizur Rahman, Nasum Ahmed, Parvez Hossain Emon, Rishad Hossain, Shak Mahedi Hasan, Shamim Hossain Patwari, Shoriful Islam, Tanzid Hasan Tamim, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Taskin Ahmed and Towhid Hridoy.