RAWALPINDI (Dunya News) – Sahibzada Farhan will lead out the Pakistan T20I side for the first time on home soil when the hosts face Sri Lanka in first of the three T20 Internationals today (Friday) at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.
It will be the ninth time that the two teams face each other in a bilateral T20I series.
The second and third T20Is will be played on 11 and 13 October at the same venue with the first ball expected to be bowled at 6pm PKT. The coin toss will take place at 5.30pm PKT.
The 15-member Pakistan T20I squad comprises of two uncapped players Razaullah and Muhammad Imran Randhawa, while fast bowler Naseem Shah is in line to play his first T20I since his last appearance against the same opposition in February earlier this year.
Abrar Ahmad – second on the ICC T20I rankings for bowlers – will form a strong spin bowling contingent with wrist-spinners Shadab Khan, Sufyan Moqim and left-arm spinner Arafat Minhas, while Saim Ayub’s off-spin will also be vital. Apart from Naseem, Pakistan’s pace stocks for the T20I series include Mohammad Salman Mirza, Razaullah and Imran Randhawa.
Khawaja Mohammad Nafay is set to take gloves in the series, while the batting line-up has been bolstered with the addition of experienced Fakhar Zaman. Maaz Sadaqat, skipper Sahibzada and the in-form duo of Hasan Nawaz and Abdul Samad further add strength to the team’s batting.