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| Afghanistan vs Pakistan T20 Series |
Pakistan's Islamabad - The first bilateral series in many years will pit Afghanistan and Pakistan against one another as they renew their cricketing rivalry.
The match will take place at Sharjah Cricket Stadium in the United Arab Emirates on Friday at 7pm (16:00 GMT) (UAE). The other two T20 International (T20I) games are set for March 26 and 27, making this the first of a series of three T20I games between the two teams.
Leg-spinning all-rounder Shadab Khan will lead Pakistan for the first time after the decision to rest regular captain Babar Azam.
Other notable absences include Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Rizwan, and Fakahar Zaman as Pakistan looks to showcase young players who stood out in the recently finished Pakistan Super League (PSL), the nation's domestic T20 competition.
Before the series, Khan said, "The uncapped players in our squad have earned their call-ups given their consistent play in domestic cricket and significant performances in the PSL."
Ihsanullah, an express fast bowler who took 22 wickets in the PSL and was named Player of the Tournament, is anticipated to receive a cap from Pakistan.
The new-look team also includes the daring Saim Ayub, whose daring shot-making during the PSL garnered attention.
Leg-spinner Rashid Khan will lead the Afghanistan team, and former captain Mohammad Nabi will also be back in the lineup.
The Afghan team is in excellent shape after sweeping the UAE hosts in a three-match T20I series last month. Throughout the series, veteran batters Karim Janat and Ibrahim Zadran both scored half centuries.
Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, and Fazalhaq Farooqi, who also took part in the PSL, will join them.
Since finishing as runners-up in the T20 World Cup last year, Pakistan, which is currently ranked third in the International Cricket Council (ICC) T20I rankings, will play its first international T20 match.
Australia was originally supposed to play tenth-ranked Afghanistan. However, the former T20I World Champions withdrew from the series in January, citing restrictions on women imposed by the Taliban, who had taken control of Afghanistan in August 2021.
The current cricket series between Afghanistan and Pakistan may not matter in terms of ranking points or eligibility for any upcoming major cricket tournaments, but it does suggest a potential warming of ties between the two neighbours.
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AFG vs PAK squad: Full team lists for Afghanistan v Pakistan 2023
Afghanistan:
Rashid Khan (c), Fareed Ahmed, Noor Ahmad, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Sediqullah Atal, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Usman Ghani, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Karim Janat, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Naveen-ul-Haq, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Ibrahim Zadran, Najibullah Zadran, Afsar Zazai
Pakistan:
Shadab Khan (c), Iftikhar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Saim Ayub, Mohammad Haris, Ihsanullah, Azam Khan, Zaman Khan, Shan Masood, Mohammad Nawaz, Abdullah Shafique, Naseem Shah, Tayyab Tahir, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Wasim
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