Lahore, Dec 28 (IANS) Pakistan have named their T20I squad for next month’s three-match series in Sri Lanka, with several key players absent, including Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, and Mohammad Rizwan, who are participating in Australia’s Big Bash League.
Additionally, uncapped keeper-batter Khawaja Nafay received his maiden call-up. The 23-year-old right-handed wicketkeeper-batter, has recently been part of the Pakistan Shaheens squad and has featured in 32 T20 matches, scoring at a strike rate of 132.81.
All-rounder Shadab Khan has returned to the T20I team as the selectors announced a 15-player squad for the T20I series next month. Salman Ali Agha, who has played a record 34 T20I matches- the most by a Pakistani player this year- will remain captain of the revamped squad.
Shadab, 27, who last played for Pakistan in June, had shoulder surgery earlier this year. After a successful rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy, he is now playing in the Big Bash League (BBL) in Australia.
The Pakistan team will leave for Sri Lanka in the first week of January. All three T20I matches are set to take place at the Rangiri Dambulla International Cricket Stadium (RDICS) in Dambulla on January 7, 9, and 11.
The series will give Pakistan a chance to finalise their squad for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, which is scheduled to be held in India and Sri Lanka from February 7 to March 8. All of Pakistan’s matches will be played in Colombo, Sri Lanka.
Pakistan are placed in Group B for the upcoming World Cup and will face India, Namibia, the Netherlands, and the USA in the first round
Pakistan squad for Sri Lanka T20Is:
Salman Ali Agha (c), Abdul Samad, Abrar Ahmad, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Khawaja Nafay, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Salman Mirza, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Shadab Khan, Usman Khan, Usman Tariq
Series Schedule:
First T20I, January 7, Dambulla
Second T20I, January 9, Dambulla
Third T20I, January 11, Dambulla
–IANS
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