Shadab changed common skipper Babar Azam as Pakistan rested seniors Mohammad Rizwan, Fakhar Zaman, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Haris Rauf for the sequence.
This just isn’t the primary time Shadab is main Pakistan as he beforehand led the crew in a three-match T20I sequence in New Zealand when Azam was injured, shedding 2-1.
“It is a great honour for me to be leading Pakistan,” Shadab mentioned on Thursday. “As a player this is the highest you can go in your career.
“I’m very excited for the upcoming three T20Is. We have an excellent mixture of youth and expertise, which makes us a well-balanced facet, and we have now what it takes to win this sequence.”
Batters Saim Ayub and Tayyab Tahir, and fast bowlers Ihsanullah and Zaman Khan are all uncapped while Imad Wasim, Faheem Ashraf, Azam Khan and Abdullah Shafique have earned recalls.
Afghanistan have also recalled former skipper Mohammad Nabi after leaving him out of the three-match T20 series against United Arab Emirates that they won 2-1 last month.
Wily leg-spinner Rashid Khan will lead the Afghanistan side, having replaced Nabi last year.
Shadab said Afghanistan were a dangerous side “they usually have some good T20 gamers of their facet however I’m very assured with the gamers that I’ve in my squad.”
Pakistan have beaten Afghanistan in all three previous T20Is — a one-off match in 2013 in Sharjah, T20 World Cup 2021 and Asia Cup last year.
Pakistan agreed to play the series, the first bilateral between the two countries, in place of three one-day internationals that Afghanistan were supposed to play against Australia this month.
Cricket Australia pulled out of that series following an announcement from Afghanistan’s ruling Taliban that it was banning university education for girls and not forming a women’s cricket team.
Afghanistan Cricket Board chief executive Khan hoped fans will enjoy a good series.
“Both nations have passionate followers who assist their groups with enthusiasm and delight,” said Naseeb.
“As neighbours, we have now a particular bond and we hope to showcase not solely our cricketing abilities but additionally the spirit of friendship and sportsmanship.”
Squads:
Pakistan: Shadab Khan (captain), Abdullah Shafique, Azam Khan, Faheem Ashraf, Iftikhar Ahmed, Ihsanullah, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Haris, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Wasim, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Shan Masood, Tayyab Tahir, Zaman Khan
Afghanistan: Rashid Khan (captain), Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran, Usman Ghani, Sediqullah Atal, Najibullah Zadran, Afsar Zazai, Karim Janat, Mohammad Nabi, Azmatullah Omarzai, Gulbadin Naib, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Noor Ahmad, Mujeeb Ur Rehman, Fareed Ahmad, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Naveen-ul-Haq
(With AFP inputs)
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com