LAHORE: Pakistan’s pursuit to find their best combination for next year’s T20 World Cup will continue when they take on Bangladesh in the opening fixture of the three-match series here at the Gaddafi Stadium on Wednesday.
The national side’s preparations for the event had started since their unceremonious exit from the previous edition in the United States, with their first three assignments being away series in Australia, South Africa and New Zealand.
Pakistan have gone with two different captains in Mohammad Rizwan and Salman Ali Agha across the three tours, failing to win either of the T20 series, while also making 18 changes — eight players dropped and 10 picked.
With the arrival of new white-ball coach Mike Hesson, Pakistan are expected to find some sort of consistency in selection, but also seem to be planning to create a larger pool of players.
“Our aim is to finalise a playing XI before the World Cup that we believe is the best for the conditions in Sri Lanka, where the World Cup will be held,” Salman, who has quietly taken over as the side’s captain replacing Rizwan, said in a press conference on the eve of the first match against Bangladesh.
“That’s why we’re trying different players. We want to build a pool of 20-25 players so that, God forbid, if there are injuries close to the World Cup —as we’ve seen in the past— we don’t miss those players too much. Our goal is to have replacements ready so we’re not left wondering what to do.”
Rizwan’s ouster comes amid Salman and Hesson’s vision of transforming Pakistan into a team that plays a “fast-paced, modern day” game, the former skipper struggling with maintaining strike rates as per the requirements of the new approach.
Another ex-captain in Babar Azam has also been left out for similar reasons, but Salman made it clear that the duo — once the face of Pakistan’s T20 top-order — are replaceable. The team’s regular pace spearhead Shaheen Shah Afridi, who finished as the top wicket-taker in the recently concluded Pakistan Super League (PSL), also won’t feature in the Bangladesh series.
“We have so much talent in Pakistan that anyone can replace anyone at any time,” claimed Salman. “But yes, Shaheen, Babar, and Rizwan have been Pakistan’s best cricketers over the last four years. They’ve won us many matches, and going forward, they will still play a significant role in white-ball cricket.”
While Shaheen has been left out reportedly because he asked the national selectors for rest after winning the PSL for Lahore Qalandars, the remaining squad has been picked majorly based on performances in the PSL.
Pacer Hasan Ali has returned to the squad after notable shows for Karachi Kings, while Islamabad United’s Sahibzada Farhan came in as the highest run-scorer of the T20 tournament.
Hasan Nawaz, who made his debut as opener in Pakistan’s series against New Zealand earlier this year, has been picked after establishing himself as a decent middle-order batter during the PSL.
Pacer Mohammad Wasim Jr, who was initially picked, was ruled out from the series late on Tuesday night due to a side strain, with all-rounder Abbas Afridi replacing him.
“The form of the players you saw in the PSL, the ones who’ve been selected, is very good,” Salman noted, “We will try to give maximum opportunities to players and create a playing XI that helps us win.”
Salman and Hesson have shared the Islamabad United dressing room with the former as the team’s vice-captain and the former as the head coach. The team, despite losing out in the PSL playoffs, has come forward as a data-driven, attacking side over the last two years. Salman believed that was the way to go to flourish in the modern era.
“It’s not just Islamabad United; if you look around the world, teams are following the same approach — what’s called modern-day cricket,” he said. “That’s what we’re trying to do as well. We’ve created a process that we’ll follow for the long term, which is attacking cricket. You can say we play fearlessly but not carelessly. We’ll try to maintain that balance.”
Bangladesh, meanwhile, come into the series at the back of a shocking 2-2 series loss against the United Arab Emirates last week.
The visitors’ squad features a blend of youth and experience, with star batter and captain Litton Das at the helm and all-rounder Mehidy Hasan Miraz serving as his deputy.
The tourists are using the series to experiment with combinations in a bid to finalise their squad for the T20 World Cup. The batting line-up is bolstered by the presence of Soumya Sarkar, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Towhid Hridoy and Shamim Hossain.
Emerging leg-spinner Rishad Hossain, who previously featured for Lahore Qalandars in the PSL, is also a part of the Bangladesh squad.
However, Bangladesh will miss the services of experienced pacer Mustafizur Rahman, who has reportedly sustained an injury during the Indian Premier League.
In his absence, the pace attack will be led by Tanvir Islam, Hasan Mahmud, and Tanzim Hasan Sakib.
“We couldn’t perform to expectations against the UAE, but we’ve identified our shortcomings and know where we need to improve,” he said. “We are not thinking much about the opposition; our emphasis is on our own game.”
All three T20 matches of the series will be played at the Gaddafi Stadium. The second game is slated for May 30, followed by the final fixture on June 1.
Published in Dawn, May 28th, 2025
