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Shadab Khan will captain the visit of Sharjah when the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) names a 15-member squad for the upcoming T20I series against Afghanistan.
PCB chief Najam Sethi said that young players who had excelled in Pakistan Premier League (PSL) 2023 will get the chance in the series and has taken senior players Babar Azam, Muhammad Rizwan, and Shaheen Shah Afridi to confidence over the plan of attack before the announcement of the team.
Sethi congratulated Shadab on being selected as the captain of the Pakistani team for the series against Afghanistan in a separate press release.
Shadab Khan has served as Pakistan’s vice-captain in white-ball cricket for a number of years, so it makes sense that in Babar Azam’s absence, he will captain the side for the quick trip to Sharjah for three T20Is .
For the short tour of Sharjah and to “maintain consistency,” Mohammad Yousuf has been named interim head coach and batting coach, according to the PCB chief.
Yousuf has worked at the National High Performance Center and with the national team as a hitting coach since last year.
Chief Selector Haroon Rasheed explained the rationale for resting the senior players, noting that they have adhered to the standard rotation policy by giving high performing domestic performers a chance to showcase their talent and potential on the international stage while resting the best players .
According to him, by doing this, the board will be able to evaluate the personalities and abilities of the players and expand its player pool in anticipation of the T20 World Cup to be held in the West Indies and the United States the following year.
Babar, Fakhar, Haris, Rizwan, and Shaheen have been given breaks from the short tour of Sharjah to allow them to disconnect from competitive cricket in order to complete their rehabs, regroup, rebuild and recharge their batteries and be fully fit for the challenges in the difficult and challenging 2023-24 season.
Squad
Iftikhar Ahmed (Quetta Gladiators), Mohammad Haris (Peshawar Zalmi), Mohammad Nawaz (Quetta Gladiators), Mohammad Wasim (Karachi Kings), Mohammad Wasim Junior (Islamabad United), Naseem Shah (Quetta Gladiators), Saim Ayub (Peshawar Zalmi), Shan Masood (Multan Sultans), Tayyab Tahir (Kar (Lahore Qalandars)
Islamabad United’s Abrar Ahmed, Peshawar Zalmi’s Haseebullah, and Usama Mir are the reserves (Multan Sultans)