Srinagar: Pakistan T20 captain Salman Ali Agha has said that Pakistan will be playing fearless criket vs Bangladesh in the upcoming series but that will not be careless.
“It’s not the only Islamabad United method. If you look around the world, cricket is played in this manner, and people are following the attacking style,” Agha said in a presser.
“We’re also aiming to stick with the attacking style we’ve developed and sustain it for the long run, and it’s attacking cricket as well, in which you remain ‘fearless but not careless’,” he added.
“Any series in international cricket is not easy, and currently, the Bangladesh team is very skillful,” he said.
When asked about key opposition threats, the 31-year-old identified Bangladesh skipper Litton Das as a prized wicket.
“Litton Das will be prize wicket for us and we will ensure that he should not score too many runs,” he stated.
Pakistan has made significant changes to its squad, with eight players replaced from the team that toured New Zealand earlier this year.
The all-rounder also explained that these changes were made with the upcoming T20 World Cup in mind.
“Considering the conditions in Sri Lanka, we’re working towards building a core group of 20 to 25 players. This way, we’ll have adequate backups in case of injuries and be ready with our best playing XI for the World Cup.”
The captain also shed light on the team selection process and batting order, particularly regarding emerging star Hasan Nawaz, the Player of the Tournament in Pakistan Super League (PSL) 10.
“We aim to create the best playing XI for the World Cup in Sri Lanka. Furthermore, want to assemble a pool of 20 to 25 players so that if any player is injured, we have a replacement,” he said.
“We picked the team according to players’ international and PSL form. With my suggestion, the final XI is decided. Hasan Nawaz has played really well in the middle order in PSL, so I don’t think he needs to open,” he concluded.
The three-match T20I series between Pakistan and Bangladesh begins today, with the second and third matches scheduled for May 30 and June 1, respectively.
Historically, Pakistan has dominated T20I encounters between the two sides, winning 16 out of 19 matches, while Bangladesh has managed just three victories.
Pakistan squad for Bangladesh T20Is: Salman Ali Agha (captain), Shadab Khan (vice-captain), Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Hassan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Haris (wicket-keeper), Mohammad Wasim Jr, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan (wicket-keeper) and Saim Ayub.
Pakistan-Bangladesh T20I series schedule:
28 May – 1st T20I, Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore
30 May – 2nd T20I, Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore
1 June – 3rd T20I, Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore