Pakistan will continue to rely on an all-rounder-dominated strategy in T20 cricket as they enter the tri-series featuring Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe, beginning Tuesday at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium — the sole venue for the tournament.
The approach, shaped under white-ball head coach Mike Hesson since May, has drawn criticism for sidelining specialist batters and bowlers. However, T20 captain Salman Ali Agha defended the policy during Monday’s pre-series press conference, calling it a “luxury” that Pakistan cannot ignore.
“As you may have seen, we mostly go for all-rounders, and thankfully we have some who bowl and bat equally well,” Salman said. “All of them can bowl four overs and they bat really well too. So why would we not utilise them?”
He listed Mohammad Nawaz and Faheem Ashraf as prime examples, adding that top international teams are also leaning towards multi-skilled players.
Samad Set for Middle-Order Role
Pakistan have retained their previously announced squad, except for Hasan Nawaz, who was dropped and advised to return to first-class cricket due to poor form. While no official replacement has been named, power-hitter Abdul Samad is strongly tipped to take over the No. 6 finishing role.
“In the middle-order we haven’t performed the way we want to,” Salman admitted. “We have Abdul Samad, so we may give him a go.”
The squad is unlikely to undergo further experimentation as Pakistan sharpen their combination ahead of the T20 World Cup in February-March.
“We’ll try to give opportunities to all 15 players, but winning matches is the priority,” Salman said. “Whichever series we play now is preparation for the World Cup.”
Captain’s Return to Form
Salman accepted his poor Asia Cup showing — 72 runs in seven matches — but said his mindset and performance improved during the ODI series. He struck a century against Sri Lanka and earlier made a half-century against South Africa.
“Failures do affect you in international cricket,” he said. “But I’ve done well in the ODIs and will try to take that confidence into the T20s.”
Sri Lanka Hit by Illness
Sri Lanka suffered a setback as captain Charith Asalanka and pacer Asitha Fernando were ruled out due to illness and flown back home. Dasun Shanaka has been appointed captain for the series, while young batter Pavan Rathnayake joins the squad.
The tri-series will follow a double round-robin format, with each side playing four league matches before the November 29 final. All games begin at 6:00pm.
Pakistan Squad:
Salman Ali Agha (captain), Abdul Samad, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Mohammad Salman Mirza, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan (wk), Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usman Khan (wk), Usman Tariq.
Fixtures:
Nov 18: Pakistan v Zimbabwe
Nov 20: Sri Lanka v Zimbabwe
Nov 22: Pakistan v Sri Lanka
Nov 23: Pakistan v Zimbabwe
Nov 25: Sri Lanka v Zimbabwe
Nov 27: Pakistan v Sri Lanka
Nov 29: Final
