Asia Cup 2023: The wait for the Asia Cup 2023 is at its peak as cricket lovers gear up for the thrilling encounter between Pakistan and Nepal in the opening match.
Pakistan cricket team has announced its playing XI for the opening match of Asia Cup 2023 against Nepal to be held in Multan on Wednesday.
Team selection for this match focused on batting depth and a balanced bowling attack.
In terms of batting, Pakistan has opted to include several strong batsmen to bolster their lineup.
The team has picked middle-order batsman Iftikhar Ahmed, who has returned to the lineup after missing the final ODI against Afghanistan.
Saud Shakeel, who played in the last match, has been dropped. The batting order includes familiar names like Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Imam Ul Haq and Mohammad Rizwan along with Iftikhar Ahmed.
On the bowling front, Pakistan have decided to field a combination of three frontline fast bowlers and three spin-bowling all-rounders, giving them a variety of options in the bowling department.
The pace attack will be led by Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah and Haris Rauf while in the spin department, spinners Shadab Khan and Mohammad Nawaz will be supported by Salman Agha.
Pakistan’s XI for the opening match against Nepal
- Babar Azam (c)
- Fakhar Zaman
- Imam ul Haq
- Mohammad Rizwan (WK)
- Iftikhar Ahmed
- Salman Agha
- Shadab Khan
- Mohammad Nawaz
- Shaheen Afridi
- Naseem Shah
- Haris Rauf