On Saturday, Pakistan officially revealed their playing XI for tomorrow’s Asia Cup 2023 clash against their arch-rivals, India.
As per the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) verified account on X (formerly known as Twitter), the Green Shirts have decided to stick with the same lineup they fielded in their previous encounter against Bangladesh.
Following their convincing victory over Bangladesh, where the Men in Green secured a seven-wicket win in their inaugural Super 4 match, the Pakistani squad aims to maintain their exceptional form in the Asia Cup, provided that inclement weather doesn’t interfere.
“Fast bowlers win matches,” emphasized Babar Azam, Pakistan’s captain, earlier in the day during a press conference, underscoring the pivotal role of seamers in cricket contests.
Azam further stated that their success is grounded in mutual trust and self-belief within the team. He expressed optimism that the weather would remain clear in Colombo for the upcoming match.
“The way the sun is shining, it appears that there won’t be rain tomorrow,” he remarked, adding that the team was in control of their training regimen.
Azam went on to mention that the team might have an advantage playing in Colombo.
“Our bowling attack has been effective, and our middle-order is striving to perform well. We need to take wickets in the middle overs, but we’re finishing strong,” Babar Azam explained.
He noted that they were experimenting with different combinations, which is why fast bowler Faheem Ashraf was included in the lineup against Bangladesh.
The playing XI for Pakistan includes:
- Babar Azam (Captain)
- Imam-ul-Haq
- Fakhar Zaman
- Mohammad Rizwan
- Agha Salman
- Iftikhar Ahmed
- Shadab Khan
- Faheem Ashraf
- Naseem Shah
- Shaheen Shah Afridi
- Haris Rauf
