ISLAMABAD: A 16-man Pakistan squad arrived in Bangladesh on Saturday for the Twenty20 and Test series against the home side, after the ‘Green Shirts’ exited the T20 World Cup losing the semifinal to Australia.
Skipper Babar Azam and all-rounder Shoaib Malik will join the squad in Dhaka on November 16, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said in a statement. The Pakistan side will start practicing after spending a day in quarantine.
Pakistan will play all three T20Is against Bangladesh in Dhaka on November 19, 20 and 22.
“The only change in the side that has qualified for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 semifinals is of Mohammad Hafeez who, following discussions with Chief Selector Muhammad Wasim, has opted out so that younger batters can get opportunities to perform and gain international experience and exposure,” the PCB said earlier this week.
The selectors have brought back Iftikhar Ahmed in Hafeez’s place, who is also an off-spinning all-rounder and has played 13 T20Is for Pakistan.
Fast bowler Shahnawaz Dahani and leg-spinner Usman Qadir — part of reserves in the T20 World Cup in the UAE — are part of the squad for the Bangladesh series.
The two Tests will be played in Chattogram (November 26-30) and Dhaka (December 4-8). A squad for the Tests will be announced later.
Pakistan T20I squad: Babar Azam (captain), Shadab Khan (vice-captain) Asif Ali, Fakhar Zaman, Haider Ali, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Wasim Junior, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shahnawaz Dahani, Shoaib Malik, Usman Qadir.
