The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced its playing eleven for the opening of the three-match T20I series against Zimbabwe at the Queen Sports Club in Bulawayo. In the absence of their regular white-ball captain, Mohammad Rizwan, the vice-captain of the side, Salman Ali Agha, will lead the troops and look to start on a positive note.
Pakistan has been enjoying the last few weeks in the limited-overs format, with back-to-back ODI series victories in Australia and later in Zimbabwe despite losing the first fixture of both series. The T20I side is fresh and has been rewarded with national caps thanks to their great performances in the domestic T20 leagues or the PSL.
Saim Ayub, who has 309 runs in 21 innings at an average of under 15 and a strike rate of over 120 with the best score of 49, will be opening the innings. The left-handed batter enjoyed the 50-over series with an unbeaten 113-run knock on his name.
Ayub will be joined by the 25-year-old right-handed Pakistan batter Omair Bin Yousuf, who fetched 46 runs in three T20Is at a strike rate of around 109 when he was part of the national side during last year’s Asian Games. Usman Khan, who celebrated a half-century in Sydney during the previous T20I series, will come at number three.
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The 31-year-old Tayyab Tahir debuted in the shortest format against Zimbabwe last year but hasn’t been able to crack the format yet. He will aim to show his caliber with the bat, having already smashed 1137 T20 runs in 39 innings at an average of over 36 and a strike rate of more than 132.
Veteran Haris Rauf to lead bowling department of Pakistan
Salman Al Agha will lead the Pakistan side, but he is also very young in the shortest format for the national side, making his debut only in Australia a few weeks ago. His record in T20s with 1092 runs in 70 innings at an average of below 19 and a strike rate of more than 117 will be something that the all-round will look to polish.
In the middle order of the batting department, Muhammad Irfan Khan will look to show his power. In six T20Is he has featured, the right-handed batter has struggled with 95 runs at a strike rate of just 125. But his T20 record of around 600 runs at a strike rate of over 134 will be offering him great confidence.
The expressive pace bowler of Pakistan, Haris Rauf, will be the leader of the bowling department. The 31-year-old is full of experience with 107 T20I wickets in 73 innings at an average of under 21 and an economy rate of just over eight. The pacer has been in an incredible touch, consisting of one spell of 4/22 in Sydney against Australia in the previous series.
Abrar Ahmed, the leg-spinner, has been new in the T20 format, with just 41 scalps in 35 innings at an average of below 25 and an economy rate of under eight. The 25-year-old left-arm wrist spinner, Sufiyan Muqeem, will be extending his T20I career for Pakistan, having collected six wickets in five innings at an economy rate of around six.
This Pakistan side is without their experienced members, consisting of Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah, Babar Azam, and others. That will allow the Green Brigade to display the skill of their new generation of players.
Pakistan Playing XI For 1st T20I vs Zimbabwe
Saim Ayub, Omair Bin Yousuf, Usman Khan (wk.), Tayyab Tahir, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Jahandad Khan, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Haris Rauf, Abrar Ahmed, Sufiyan Moqim.