ISLAMABAD: Pakistan T20 captain Salman Ali Agha has expressed confidence in the team’s “fine” blend of youth and experience as they take on the West Indies in the United States for a three-match series starting Aug. 1, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said this week.
The three T20Is, beginning on Thursday, July 31 (1 August, 5 am Pakistan Standard Time) at the Central Broward Park and Broward County Stadium in Florida is the first meeting between the two teams in T20Is since December 2021.
The second and third T20I are scheduled to take place on 2 and 3 August at the same venue with the first ball slated to be bowled at 8pm local time (3 and 4 August, 5 am Pakistan Standard Time).
“We have a fine blend of youth and experience in our squad, and it is highly productive that we are going into yet another T20 series as the build-up toward the T20 World Cup picks up pace,” Agha said.
Pakistan’s T20 squad comprises experienced cricketers such as Fakhar Zaman, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf along with youngsters Abrar Ahmed, Hassan Nawaz, Sahibzada Farhan, Sufyan Moqim and Saim Ayub.
“We are really looking forward to playing at this wonderful venue and our time here so far has been exciting,” the Pakistan captain said. “I feel the three T20 will also be entertaining and as a team we are eagerly looking forward to take the field.”
He added that Pakistan will need to play their best game to “outfox a formidable T20 side.”
The ODIs will be played at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Trinidad & Tobago on August 8, 10 and 12, with Mohammad Rizwan set to lead Pakistan as its captain.
Pakistan will take the field in Lauderhill for the second time, having previously defeated Ireland by three wickets at the same venue during the ICC T20 World Cup 2024.
Pakistan has won 15 out of 21 T20s played against the West Indies, while the hosts have won three matches, with three ending without a result.
Pakistan and the West Indies will be looking to bounce back from their recent T20I series defeats against Bangladesh and Australia, respectively.
PAKISTAN SQUADS:
ODI: Mohammad Rizwan (captain), Salman Ali Agha (vice-captain), Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Hasan Ali, Hasan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Mohammad Haris (wicket-keeper), Mohammad Nawaz, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Sufyan Moqim
T20I: Salman Ali Agha (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Hasan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Haris (wicket-keeper), Mohammad Nawaz, Sahibzada Farhan (wicket-keeper), Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Sufyan Moqim
