ISLAMABAD: Pakistan cricket team’s white-ball Head Coach Mike Hesson has backed what he described as an “excellent balanced squad” for the upcoming tri-nation series and Asia Cup in the UAE, hoping that a blend of fresh faces and experienced cricketers in the squad will fare well in the upcoming fixtures.
Pakistan announced a 17-member squad for an upcoming T20I tri-series and the Asia Cup, both scheduled to be held in the UAE, on Sunday. The tri-nation series is scheduled to take place from Aug. 29 to Sept. 7 at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium and will feature Pakistan, Afghanistan and the UAE. The eight-team ACC Asia Cup T20I tournament will be staged in Abu Dhabi and Dubai from Sept. 9-28. Pakistan are placed in Group ‘A’ alongside India, Oman and UAE.
Pakistan’s 17-member squad is led by young skipper Salman Ali Agha and features pacers Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf, Salman Mirza, Mohammad Waseem Junior, Hasan Ali and all-rounder Faheem Ashraf. The squad features mystery spinners Abrar Ahmed and Sufyan Moqim, explosive openers Fakhar Zaman, Saim Ayub and Sahibzada Farhan. Former skipper Babar Azam and ODI captain Mohammad Rizwan including right-arm pacer Naseem Shah have been excluded from the squad.
