Pakistan and Bangladesh begin T20I series today
The second T20I will be held on Friday, May 30, while the third and final T20I of the series is scheduled on June 1.
Salman Ali Agha will lead Pakistan, while Litton Das will captain Bangladesh. All three T20Is will be played at Lahore's Qaddafi Stadium, which will host its first T20I series after going through a complete renovation earlier this year.
'The boys are doing well as a unit. A lot of our players are coming off strong performances in the HBL PSL X, which is one of the most competitive T20 tournaments in the world. That form and momentum are something we are hoping to carry into this series,' Agha was quoted as saying in a PCB statement.
'Bangladesh are a quality side with talented players and we are expecting a good challenge from them. I believe fans are in for some thrilling cricket over the next few days.'
Das, the Bangladesh captain, said his team was 'focused and understands the challenge Pakistan poses, especially in their home conditions.'
'This series is a great opportunity for every player to step up. We are trying a few combinations in the build-up to the T20 World Cup next year and this tour is a valuable part of that process,' the PCB statement quoted Das as saying.
The 2009 world champions Pakistan have endured a significant downturn in the last 12 months and crashed out in the first round of the World Cup in 2024.
They have won only three of their last 13 T20Is, two against minnows Zimbabwe, and slumped to eighth in the T20I rankings.
With a new head coach in New Zealand's Mike Hesson they are looking to younger players with the World Cup in India and Sri Lanka just eight months away.
Star batsmen Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan, and pace spearhead Shaheen Shah Afridi, have all been axed.
Salman Agha will lead the side, having lost a series in New Zealand 4-1 two months ago.
Bangladesh, ranked ninth, are in the same boat.
They have won just four of their last 12 T20Is and lost series against lower-ranked United States (2024) and United Arab Emirates earlier this month.
They also have a new coach in West Indian Phil Simmons, who will be missing senior players including Tamim Iqbal, Shakib Al Hasan, Mohammad Mahmudullah and Mushfiqur Rahim, all either fully retired or from the T20Is.
Frontline fast bowlers Taskin Ahmed and Mustafizur Rahman are nursing injuries while new pace sensation Nahid Rana withdrew from the tour over security fears following the cross-border conflict between India and Pakistan.
With inputs from AFP
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