Pak-Bangladesh T20Is begin today
Pakistan team practise at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore ahead of first T20I on Wednesday. Photo: PCB
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Pakistan are all set to take on Bangladesh in the three-match T20I series commencing from Wednesday, 28 May. The second T20I will be held on Friday, 30 May, while the third and final T20I of the series is scheduled on 1 June.
All three T20Is will be played at Lahore's Gaddafi Stadium, which will host its first T20I series after going through a complete renovation earlier this year. The T20Is will begin at 8pm, with the toss taking place at 7.30pm local time.
Salman Ali Agha will lead Pakistan, while Litton Das to captain Bangladesh. Both sides had their first training session at the Gaddafi Stadium under lights on Monday evening, while they will undergo another training session on Tuesday evening to get themselves ready for the series.
On head to head in Pakistan, both sides have featured in four T20Is with Bangladesh touring Pakistan for T20I in 2020. Pakistan have won three T20Is, while one match was washed out. Overall in five bilateral series, Pakistan have edged out Bangladesh four times with the visitor's only win coming in 2015.
Earlier, Mike Hesson was appointed Pakistan's white-ball coach, while Salman Ali Agha, who has so far led the team in nine T20Is, will continue to the skipper of the side.
Salman Ali Agha, Pakistan captain: "We had a very productive practice session yesterday and the boys are doing well as a unit. A lot of our players are coming off strong performances in the HBL PSL X, which is one of the most competitive T20 tournaments in the world. That form and momentum are something we are hoping to carry into this series.
"Bangladesh are a quality side with talented players and we are expecting a good challenge from them. I believe fans are in for some thrilling cricket over the next few days.
"I would like to urge fans to turn up in big numbers and support not just us, but the spirit of the game."
Litton Das, Bangladesh captain: "We have had a good training session and we are familiar with the conditions here. The players are looking forward to the series. Everyone is focused and understands the challenge Pakistan poses, especially in their home conditions.
"This series is a great opportunity for every player to step up. We are trying a few combinations in the build-up to the T20 World Cup next year and this tour is a valuable part of that process."
The Pakistan Cricket Board has unveiled the five-member commentary panel for the series. Former Test captains Aamir Sohail and Ramiz Raja, Test cricketer Bazid Khan and former Bangladesh international cricketer Athar Ali Khan alongside Mike Haysman. Zainab Abbas will be the series presenter.
The T20I matches will be broadcast live on A Sports and Ten Sports in Pakistan, while the matches will be live-stream on Tamasha and Tapmad within Pakistan. 24 full High-Definition cameras will beam live action around the globe through PCB's broadcast partners.
For international viewers, Cricbuzz (Middle-East and North Africa), TSports (Bangladesh), Tapmad (Bangladesh), ARY (UK), Dialog (Sri Lanka), Super Sports (Africa) and Willow TV (North America) will broadcast matches internationally.
The tickets for the series have been put on sale to fans from 25 May onwards at TCS Express Centres (infographic attached). To encourage fans to come to the ground, affordable prices have been set for the matches with general enclosures tickets available from PKR 200, while Gallery tickets are available at PKR 2,000.
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