LAHORE: In the opening Twenty20 International match against England on May 22, Pakistan is expected to make three significant changes, according to sources cited by Geo News on Saturday.
According to the reports, Usman Khan, the top batsman, and two elite pacers, Haris Rauf and Naseem Shah, will start the opening game in the playing XI. A pacer may be benched to create place for leg spin bowler Abrar Ahmed or all-rounder spinner Shadab Khan.
Notably, Rauf and Usman were unable to participate in the Ireland series, which Pakistan won 2-1. However, in light of the forthcoming World Cup T20I, the team management has chosen to use a combination of full-strength reserve players.
According to the sources, Usman will probably start in place of Saim Ayub in the starting lineup, while Rauf will start in Hasan Ali’s stead. They also stated that Naseem will be included in the team in the interim.
They indicated that Gary Kirsten, the head coach of white-ball, who will join the club on Sunday, would be consulted before making any final decisions about changes to the roster (tomorrow).
May 22 is when the four-match Pakistan-England series is scheduled to start, immediately preceding the June 1 start date of the T20 World Cup in the United States and the West Indies.
Plans Leeds for the first T20I on May 22
May 25: Birmingham hosts the second T20I
Third T20I at Cardiff on May 28
Fourth T20I at The Oval on May 30.
The following players make up the Pakistani squad: Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Salman Agha, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Afridi, Usman Khan, Imad Wasim, Imad Wasim, Iftikhar Ahmed, Hasan Ali, Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Rizwan, Irfan Khan, and Barbar Azam (c).
The following players are part of the England team: Chris Jordan, Liam Livingstone, Adil Rashid, Adil Ali, Moeen Ali, Jofra Archer, Jonathan Bairstow, Harry Brook, Sam Curran, Ben Duckett, Tom Hartley, Will Jacks, and Mark Wood.
