Pakistan males’s cricket group getting ready for T20I collection in opposition to Bangladesh. — Fb/PakistanCricketBoard
Subsequent yr’s World Cup is in sight as a new-look Pakistan beneath Mike Hesson host a younger Bangladesh group in Lahore in three Twenty20 internationals from Wednesday.
The 2009 world champions Pakistan have endured a big downturn within the final 12 months and crashed out within the first spherical of the World Cup in 2024.
They’ve received solely three of their final 13 T20Is, two in opposition to minnows Zimbabwe, and slumped to eighth within the T20I rankings.
With a brand new head coach in New Zealand’s Hesson they need to youthful gamers with the World Cup in India and Sri Lanka simply eight months away.
Star batsmen Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan, and tempo spearhead Shaheen Shah Afridi, have all been axed.
Salman Agha will lead the aspect, having misplaced a collection in New Zealand 4-1 two months in the past.
“We’ve been really clear around the style of play we want and then it’s about picking players that can do that,” Hesson, who coached New Zealand from 2012-2018, stated.
“We’ve got a good number of T20Is between now and the World Cup.
“We are going to develop a depth of squad enjoying the way in which we wish and the rankings will are available time as a result of it’s about the way in which we need to play.”
Bangladesh, ranked ninth, are in the same boat.
They have won just four of their last 12 T20Is and lost series against lower-ranked United States (2024) and United Arab Emirates earlier this month.
They also have a new coach in West Indian Phil Simmons, who will be missing senior players including Tamim Iqbal, Shakib Al Hasan, Mohammad Mahmudullah and Mushfiqur Rahim, all either fully retired or from the T20Is.
“We’re aiming to enhance our cricket by performing effectively on this collection,” stated Simmons, who took over in October.
Frontline quick bowlers Taskin Ahmed and Mustafizur Rahman are nursing accidents whereas new tempo sensation Nahid Rana withdrew from the tour over safety fears following the cross-border battle between India and Pakistan.
The battle put the tour doubtful however Bangladesh lastly agreed to play three T20Is as an alternative of the scheduled 5.
The remaining matches are on Friday and Sunday, additionally in Lahore.
