Pakistan are all set to take on Nepal in the Asia Cup opener, starting tomorrow in Multan. Pakistan had named a 17-member squad for the Asia Cup. Following the Afghanistan series, which Men in Green won by 3-0, they added Saud Shakeel in the squad in place of Tayyab Tahir.
With a settled line-up, Pakistan is unlikely to do any experiments in the first match of the Asia Cup.
At the top of the batting order, Pakistan will have its regular openers Fakhar Zaman and Imam ul Haq.
Leading the team, Babar Azam, will assume his customary position at number three. He will be determined to uphold his status as the top-ranked ODI batsman in the world.
Taking the number four batting spot will be wicketkeeper-batsman, Mohammad Rizwan.
The fifth and sixth positions will be occupied by Salman Agha and Iftikhar Ahmed, respectively. Iftikhar Ahmed, known for his impactful late-order batting, along with Agha, can contribute significantly to Pakistan’s strong finishes in ODIs.
Pakistan is likely to opt for their spin-bowling all-rounders, Shadab Khan and Mohammad Nawaz.
The final three slots in the lineup will feature the dynamic fast-bowling trio of Haris Rauf, Shaheen Shah Afridi, and Naseem Shah, known for their fiery pace and ability to unsettle batters.
Pakistan’s expected playing XI:
Fakhar Zaman, Imam ul Haq, Babar Azam (C), Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Agha Salman, Iftikhar Ahmed, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf
Pakistan squad for Asia Cup:
Abdullah Shafique, Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Babar Azam (captain), Salman Ali Agha, Iftikhar Ahmed, Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Haris, Shadab Khan (vice-captain), Mohammad Nawaz, Usama Mir, Faheem Ashraf, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Afridi
