logo
Pakistan T20 captain backs ‘fine' blend of youth, experience ahead of West Indies series

Pakistan T20 captain backs ‘fine' blend of youth, experience ahead of West Indies series

Arab News6 days ago
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan T20 captain Salman Ali Agha has expressed confidence in the team's 'fine' blend of youth and experience as they take on the West Indies in the United States for a three-match series starting Aug. 1, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said this week.
The three T20Is, beginning on Thursday, July 31 (1 August, 5 am Pakistan Standard Time) at the Central Broward Park and Broward County Stadium in Florida is the first meeting between the two teams in T20Is since December 2021.
The second and third T20I are scheduled to take place on 2 and 3 August at the same venue with the first ball slated to be bowled at 8pm local time (3 and 4 August, 5 am Pakistan Standard Time).
'We have a fine blend of youth and experience in our squad, and it is highly productive that we are going into yet another T20 series as the build-up toward the T20 World Cup picks up pace,' Agha said.
Pakistan's T20 squad comprises experienced cricketers such as Fakhar Zaman, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf along with youngsters Abrar Ahmed, Hassan Nawaz, Sahibzada Farhan, Sufyan Moqim and Saim Ayub.
'We are really looking forward to playing at this wonderful venue and our time here so far has been exciting,' the Pakistan captain said. 'I feel the three T20 will also be entertaining and as a team we are eagerly looking forward to take the field.'
He added that Pakistan will need to play their best game to 'outfox a formidable T20 side.'
The ODIs will be played at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Trinidad & Tobago on August 8, 10 and 12, with Mohammad Rizwan set to lead Pakistan as its captain.
Pakistan will take the field in Lauderhill for the second time, having previously defeated Ireland by three wickets at the same venue during the ICC T20 World Cup 2024.
Pakistan has won 15 out of 21 T20s played against the West Indies, while the hosts have won three matches, with three ending without a result.
Pakistan and the West Indies will be looking to bounce back from their recent T20I series defeats against Bangladesh and Australia, respectively.
PAKISTAN SQUADS:
ODI: Mohammad Rizwan (captain), Salman Ali Agha (vice-captain), Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Hasan Ali, Hasan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Mohammad Haris (wicket-keeper), Mohammad Nawaz, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Sufyan Moqim
T20I: Salman Ali Agha (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Hasan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Haris (wicket-keeper), Mohammad Nawaz, Sahibzada Farhan (wicket-keeper), Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Sufyan Moqim
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Son Heung-min signs with MLS' Los Angeles FC after a decade at Tottenham
Son Heung-min signs with MLS' Los Angeles FC after a decade at Tottenham

Arab News

time15 hours ago

  • Arab News

Son Heung-min signs with MLS' Los Angeles FC after a decade at Tottenham

LOS ANGELES: Son Heung-min agreed to a contract with Los Angeles FC on Tuesday, finalizing his move to Major League Soccer after a decade at Tottenham Hotspur. The 33-year-old South Korean superstar forward is joining LAFC three days after he formally announced his decision to leave Tottenham. Son attended LAFC's Leagues Cup match against Tigres at BMO Stadium on Tuesday night, watching from a luxury suite. LAFC will formally introduce Son at a news conference Wednesday, but the club showed the forward on the stadium video board late in the first half as he waved to roaring fans thrilled by their team's landmark acquisition. LAFC, a deep-pocketed club with significant team success in its first eight seasons of existence, reportedly paid a transfer fee of more than $20 million, which could end up being the most ever for an MLS move. Son was a beloved presence at Spurs, scoring 173 goals in 454 competitive appearances for the North London club while rising to global prominence with his combination of speed, playmaking skill and finishing acumen. The captain was given a memorable farewell last week in Seoul during Tottenham's exhibition match against Newcastle, getting a guard of honor from both teams and tearfully exiting in the second half while nearly 65,000 fans roared. But South Korea's most popular athlete — and almost certainly the greatest Asian soccer player in history — has chosen an auspicious stage for the next chapter of his groundbreaking career. Los Angeles has the world's largest ethnic Korean population outside Korea, with the city's vibrant Koreatown district sitting just a couple of miles from LAFC's BMO Stadium. LAFC is undoubtedly hoping to market Son as a soccer counterpart to the Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani, albeit on a smaller scale. Ohtani, the three-time MLB MVP from Japan who is on a trajectory to become the greatest Asian player in baseball history, draws fans from across the Pacific Rim to Dodger Stadium while attracting millions in sponsorships and partnerships for the Dodgers. Son's move to California also puts him in position to make an impact on and off the field at the World Cup, which will be held across North America in 2026. Son, the captain of his national team, already has said he will play in his fourth World Cup. After leading Tottenham to its first European trophy in decades by winning the Europa League in May in a fitting cap to his English career, Son will go straight into the MLS Cup race when suits up for his new club. LAFC currently sits sixth in the Western Conference at 10-6-6, but with multiple games in hand on every team in front of it because of its participation in the Club World Cup. Son's seven Premier League goals last season were his fewest since his Tottenham debut, but he still appears to have the pace and skill necessary to be a difference-maker at any level. He also turned 33 only a month ago, putting him on the younger end of the global stars recently arriving in MLS. Lionel Messi and Marco Reus were 35 and Luis Suárez was 37 when they went stateside in recent years, while Olivier Giroud and Hugo Lloris were both 37 when they joined LAFC last year. Son will be reunited in Los Angeles with longtime Tottenham teammate Lloris, who has been outstanding since becoming LAFC's goalkeeper last season. High-scoring French forward Denis Bouanga is the only designated player currently under contract for LAFC, and general manager John Thorrington has been criticized by some fans for not using the full power of his financial resources this season. LAFC spent months on an ultimately failed attempt to get France's Antoine Griezmann to leave Atlético Madrid. Bouanga and Son have both thrived on the left wing during their careers, but Son likely has more positional versatility than Bouanga, making him a candidate to line up in the middle or even on the right wing. Son seems to be an infinitely better fit for LAFC than Giroud, who moved to Lille last month after one disappointing year in California. LAFC plays a counterattacking, speed-based style that didn't suit Giroud's goal-scoring strengths, while Son should be right at home in such a system. But LAFC also could alter its style in the winter after coach Steve Cherundolo departs for Germany following four largely successful seasons highlighted by an MLS Cup championship.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store