As they did ahead of their opening tie of the 2023 Asia Cup, against Nepal, Pakistan have announced their playing XI a day prior to their second fixture. Ahead of the crucial encounter against India on 2 September, the eleven players who will represent the green shirts have been named.
Considering they secured a comfortable 238-run triumph over Nepal, Pakistan have decided against making unwarranted tweaks to their team. Justifiably, the same set of players will again be featuring on Saturday, at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in Kandy, Sri Lanka.
Fakhar Zaman and Imam-ul-Haq will form the southpaw pairing to open the innings for Pakistan, followed by skipper Babar Azam and wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan in the next couple of positions.
Although Agha Salman had an unimpressive outing against Nepal, scoring just five runs in 14 deliveries, he has retained his place in the team and is likely to slot in at number five, followed by Iftikhar Ahmed, who struck his maiden ODI century in the last fixture.
Shadab Khan and Mohammad Nawaz will be Pakistan’s two spin options, whilst they also can be handy with the bat. Despite the pitch at Kandy not being conducive for the pacers, Pakistan have named three pacers in their line-up – Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah and Haris Rauf.
This will be the third fixture of the competition, and the second Group A fixture. From the macrocosmic perspective, however, it will also be a spectacle to behold, as India and Pakistan will cross paths in the ODI format after a prolonged wait of over four years.
Pakistan’s Playing XI Against India:
Fakhar Zaman
Imam-ul-Haq
Babar Azam (Captain)
Mohammad Rizwan (Wicketkeeper)
Agha Salman
Iftikhar Ahmed
Shadab Khan
Mohammad Nawaz
Shaheen Afridi
Naseem Shah
Haris Rauf
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