Pak vs Afg: Who will captain Pakistan in Afghanistan T20 series?

KARACHI: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is mulling to rest skipper Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan for the upcoming T20 series against Afghanistan and appointing Shaheen Shah Afridi as captain for the tour that will be played in Sharjah, according to a Daily Jang report.

A three-match T20 series is scheduled between Pakistan and Afghanistan in the UAE this month after the Pakistan Super League’s eighth edition.

The board is planning to give an opportunity to the new players performing brilliantly in the ongoing PSL.

The proposal is being discussed in order to build a strong and balanced team for the future for which the PCB has decided to try out the young and talented players who have excelled in the T20 format.

However, according to sources, it has been proposed to rest the opening duo of Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan, while there is a strong possibility that the responsibility of leading the team will be given to left-arm fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi — the captain of high-flying Lahore Qalandars.

Afridi has shown excellent skills as a captain for his PSL side.

Three wicketkeepers Haseebullah (Peshawar Zalmi), Azam Khan (Islamabad United) and Mohammad Haris (Peshawar Zalmi) are expected to be included in the Pakistan squad for the T20 series.

Apart from this, Karachi Kings captain Imad Wasim is also expected to make a comeback in the national squad on the back of his consistent performance in the shortest format of cricket.

Saim Ayub of Peshawar Zalmi and fast bowler Ihsanullah of Multan Sultans — who gained everyone's attention with their excellent show in the league — and all-rounder Faheem Ashraf of Islamabad United could also be inducted into the squad

The three-match T20 series against Afghanistan will be played in Sharjah on March 24, 26 and 27, for which National Selection Committee Chairman Haroon Rasheed will announce the squad in the next few days.