Pakistan playing 11 squad against West Indies unveiled
Shares
KARACHI - Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2018 stars Asif Ali and Hussain Talat have both been named in the 12-member team to face West Indies in the first T20 international at National Stadium on April 1.
Both or either of Islamabad United’s hard-hitting batsman Asif Ali and his teammate, all-rounder Hussain Talat could make their debut for Pakistan on Sunday.
Pakistan skipper Sarfraz Ahmed confirmed the final 12 for the first T20I in a press conference today evening.
Ahmed Shehzad, Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam, Shoaib Malik, Asif Ali, Sarfraz Ahmed (captain, wicketkeeper), Hussain Talat, Faheem Ashraf, Mohammad Nawaz, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Amir and Hasan Ali. Returning pacers Rahat Ali and Usman Khan Shinwari and Lahore Qalandars’ speed sensation Shaheen Shah Afridi have been omitted from the lineup for the opening T20.
‘Will try to clean sweep to retain top T20 ranking’ Sarfraz Ahmed has set eyes on a clean sweep of the West Indies in order to retain the top T20 team ranking for Pakistan.
A 3-0 victory will take Pakistan four points clear of Australia, who had closed in on them following a 2-0 series win over New Zealand last month.
Pakistan and Australia are both currently on 126 points, with Pakistan ahead on decimal points, as per the International Cricket Council (ICC) rankings. A 2-1 win for Pakistan will not change the position or points for either side, while a 2-1 win for the Windies will pull Pakistan down to the second spot with 123 points, just two more than third-placed India.
