Pakistan are set to begin their Asia Cup campaign against India today. Months have gone by since Pakistan last played a T20I and the team has gone through several changes during this period. Seeing an uncertain and fairly new squad with veteran Shoaib Maik left out and Hasan Ali not being the top priority, Pakistan will be experimenting to find the right combination.
ProPakistani takes an attempt at solving the mystery of Pakistan’s best XI before they take on India tonight:
The Pace Attack Sans Shaheen
The selection committee is in a dilemma after losing the ace bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi and young Mohammad Wasim to injuries. While experienced pacer Hasan Ali has been added to the squad as Wasim’s replacement, he will not be available for selection in the first match against India. This leaves selectors with Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Hasnain, and Shahnawaz Dahani.
After Naseem Shah’s heroic white ball debut, his inclusion in the playing XI is a no-brainer. Similar is the case for Haris Rauf as he is currently the most experienced pacer in the squad. Thus, Mohammad Hasnain and Shahnawaz Dahani are to compete for the third spot in the side. While Shahnawaz Dahani has been a part of the team for a while, it has been ages since he last featured in a T20I match. On the other hand, Mohammad Hasnain seems to be in good nick with his current performances in England’s The Hundred.
Although we vote for fiery Mohammad Hasnain, rumors suggest Shahnawaz Dahani might be getting the much-awaited chance in the opening contest against India.
Batting Lineup (Basically Middle Order)
The opening slots are taken by Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan, while Fakhar Zaman is expected to bat at number three. The fourth position is where the chaos begins. Young Haider Ali and Iftikhar Ahmed are strong contenders for the fourth position. However, Shadab Khan’s current form suggests that he might be the one promoted up the order in case of any bad luck in the powerplay.
We would be voting for Iftikhar Ahmed over Haider Ali against India due to the latter’s inability to tackle spin bowling. Moreover, Iftikhar Ahmed can serve as a handy bowling option, providing much-needed support to the Shaheen-lacking bowling unit of Pakistan.
Asif Ali and Khushdil Shah will be playing as power hitters but the latter might get a ball too.
The Spinners
Vice-captain Shadab Khan is the main spinner along with Mohammad Nawaz which makes the spin department look solid. The duo might get help from Khushdil Shah and Iftikhar Ahmed as mentioned earlier.
Playing XI
| Players | Roles |
| Babar Azam (c) | The opening specialist |
| Mohammad Rizwan (wk) | The destructive opener and wicket-keeper |
| Fakhar Zaman | The aggressor |
| Shadab Khan | The resilient batter under pressure and leg-spinner |
| Iftikhar Ahmed | A hard-hitting batter with spin bowling ability |
| Asif Ali | The pinch-hitter |
| Khushdil Shah | A mindful power-hitter with spin bowling ability |
| Mohammad Nawaz | The fiery finisher and left-arm spinner |
| Naseem Shah | The new ball sensation |
| Haris Rauf | The old hand at the old ball |
| Mohammad Hasnain | The speedster |
