New-look Pakistan and Bangladesh face off in T20 series
Agha has been leading the short format side with star batsmen Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan out since last year.
Pace spearhead Shaheen Shah Afridi has been rested for the three-match series and seam bowlers Haris Rauf, Naseem Shah and Mohammad Wasim are also missing because of injuries.
Agha said the missing players could still be considered for the T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka next year.
'We have changed the way we want to play but we are confident of our build-up and direction,' said Agha on Saturday.
Pakistan to play T20I series in Bangladesh next month
'We are going for this series with ample preparations as Bangladesh can be a challenging team in their home conditions.'
New Zealander Mike Hesson is Pakistan's new white-ball coach. His first assignment was a 3-0 series win at home against Bangladesh 3-0 last month.
With leg-spinner Shadab Khan also injured, Pakistan have picked two uncapped fast bowlers in Salman Mirza and Ahmed Daniyal.
Bangladesh won a T20 series 2-1 in Sri Lanka last week.
'What happened in Sri Lanka is in the past,' said captain Litton Das.
'We have to face a new challenge starting tomorrow. We are ready for this challenge.
'We have the mentality to beat any team, but we have to play well on the particular day and not entirely bank on home conditions.'
Bangladesh have kept the same squad that went to Sri Lanka
The second and third matches are on Tuesday and Thursday, also in Dhaka.
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Express Tribune
3 hours ago
- Express Tribune
Pak coach Hesson slams Dhaka pitch
Mike Hesson says teams are trying to prepare for the Asia Cup or the (T20) World Cup and It is not acceptable. Photo: AFP/File White-ball head coach of the Pakistan team Mike Hesson has criticised the pitch at the Shere Bangla National Stadium following his side's defeat in the first T20I against Bangladesh, branding it "unacceptable" for international cricket. Pakistan were bundled out for just 110 runs in 19.3 overs, struggling to adapt to the conditions. Speaking after the match, Hesson admitted his batters misread the surface but expressed concern over its suitability at the international level. "I think (the pitch) is not ideal for anybody," Hesson said. "Teams are trying to prepare for the Asia Cup or the (T20) World Cup. It is not acceptable. It is still no excuse for some of the decisions we made with the bat. But this pitch is not up to international standards," he added. The Men in Green found themselves in deep trouble early, slumping to 46 for 5 by the eighth over. Several batters fell attempting big shots, and three run-outs further derailed their innings. "We got off to a little bit of a flyer with Fakhar Zaman playing a few aggressive shots, which gave us a false indication of how the pitch was behaving," he explained. "We didn't help ourselves in the middle overs with poor shot selection. When the ball started to nip through and bounce steeply, we failed to assess the risk. A couple of run-outs didn't help either," he further stated. Bangladesh opener Parvez Hossain Emon, who struck a match-winning half-century, disagreed with Hesson's assessment. "We didn't feel (it was a bad pitch) as we chased it down in less than 16 overs," Emon said. "We could have scored 150-160 runs if we batted the full 20 overs. It may be so that they couldn't adjust to the pitch. We adjusted better than them. The Dhaka pitch usually benefits the bowlers. We tried to assess the wicket quickly. It was our first plan," he added. Despite the result, Hesson remained firm in his criticism of the surface, warning that such pitches do little to help either side prepare for tougher international assignments. "You need good cricket wickets to develop cricketers. There was some good wickets during the BPL, to be fair. It is not up to the standard when international cricket is being played," he said. "I don't think it helps them when they leave Bangladesh. But I think also batting first in these situations is challenging. When you aren't quite sure whether 100 or 130 or 150 is good enough. I don't think (the pitch) is good for anybody. It still doesn't take away the fact that you have to perform better in any surface. We will look at it as a team," he concluded. It is pertinent to mention that the hosts currently lead the three-match series 1-0, with the second T20I set to be played at the same venue on Tuesday. Disappointed Akhtar Former Pakistan pace maestro Shoaib Akhtar has expressed his disappointment following the national team's underwhelming performance in the first T20I against Bangladesh, which ended in a low-scoring defeat on Sunday at the Shere Bangla National Stadium in Dhaka. Appearing on a local show, Akhtar strongly criticised the team's approach and mindset, questioning their inability to capitalise on promising starts and adapt tactically during crucial moments. "Pakistan is still stuck in an era where they fail to capitalise on a good start. Apart from Fakhar [Zaman], there was no resistance," Akhtar lamented. "We felt the absence of Shaheen [Afridi] and Naseem [Shah] - I mean, they are specialist T20 bowlers and could have turned the game in our favour. But, as you know, the score was just too low this time, and Bangladesh delivered a clinical and dominant performance," he added.
Express Tribune
3 hours ago
- Express Tribune
Owen shines in debut T20I for Australia
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Express Tribune
a day ago
- Express Tribune
Emon stars as BD stun Pakistan
Bangladesh's Parvez Hossain Emon celebrates after scoring a half-century during the first Twenty20 international cricket match against Pakistan at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka on July 20. PHOTO: AFP Bangladesh secured a commanding seven-wicket victory over Pakistan in the first T20I of the three-match series at the Shere Bangla National Stadium on Sunday, thanks to a match-winning half-century from Parvez Hossain Emon. Chasing a modest target of 111, the hosts suffered early setbacks as debutant Salman Mirza struck twice in his opening spell. He removed Tanzid Hasan for just one run in the first over and followed it up with the wicket of Bangladesh skipper Litton Das — also for one — in his second over, leaving the home side struggling at 7-2 in 2.2 overs. Parvez Hossain and Towhid Hridoy then steadied the innings with a crucial 73-run partnership for the third wicket, rebuilding Bangladesh's chase after the early collapse. The stand was eventually broken by Abbas Afridi, who dismissed Hridoy for 36 off 37 balls, with Bangladesh at 80-3 in 12.3 overs. Emon continued his fine form, anchoring the chase with a composed knock. He brought up his second T20I fifty and remained unbeaten on 56, guiding Bangladesh to victory in 15.3 overs. Jaker Ali chipped in with 15 off 10 deliveries to help Bangladesh take a 1-0 lead in the series. For Pakistan, Salman Mirza impressed on debut with figures of 2/23 in 3.3 overs, while Abbas Afridi picked up one wicket. Batting first, Pakistan showed early promise through openers Fakhar Zaman and Saim Ayub, who found boundaries to keep the scoreboard ticking. However, the momentum quickly faded. Saim was dismissed for six by Taskin Ahmed in the second over, and Mohammad Haris followed soon after, hitting a boundary off Mahedi Hasan before being bowled on the next ball. Skipper Agha Salman struggled to get going and fell to Tanzim Hasan Sakib for just three. The pressure mounted as Mustafizur Rahman removed Hassan Nawaz for a duck, reducing Pakistan to 41-4. Mohammad Nawaz's run-out due to a miscommunication further dented Pakistan's hopes, leaving them at 46-5 in 7.4 overs. Fakhar Zaman was the standout performer, scoring a resilient 44 off 34 balls. However, his innings was cut short following another mix-up, this time with Khushdil Shah, resulting in a run-out at 70-6. Abbas Afridi offered some late resistance, smashing three sixes, while Khushdil tried to stabilise the innings. Their 33-run stand was broken when Mustafizur dismissed Khushdil for 17, leaving Pakistan at 103-7 in 16.2 overs. Taskin Ahmed returned to dismantle the lower order, dismissing Faheem Ashraf (5), running out debutant Salman Mirza for a duck, and eventually removing Afridi for 22 to wrap up the innings. Pakistan were bowled out for 110 in 19.5 oversmarking their lowest T20I total against Bangladesh. Taskin Ahmed led the bowling charge with figures of 3 for 24, while Mustafizur Rahman claimed 2 for 29. Mahedi Hasan and Tanzim Hasan Sakib chipped in with a wicket apiece. It is pertinent to mention that the second T20I of the series will be played at the same venue on Tuesday.
