Pakistan team leaves for Sri Lanka for Afghanistan ODI series

LAHORE – Pakistan cricket team players on Thursday departed for Sri Lanka to play three-match ODI series against Afghanistan.

The players boarded the flight from the Allama Iqbal International Airport, Lahore, and they will join skipper Babar Azam and other teammates, who are already in Sin Lanka.

An 18-player squad will take on Afghanistan from August 22 till 26 and it will be trimmed to 17 players for the Asia Cup, which begins from the Multan Cricket Stadium on August 30 when Pakistan play Nepal.

Lahore ✈️ Hambantota

Boys are off to Sri Lanka for the three-match ODI series against Afghanistan!#BackTheBoysInGreen #AFGvPAK pic.twitter.com/rg4NFCx2qw

— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) August 17, 2023

Earlier this month, Inzamam-ul-Haq, the head of the national men’s selection committee, announced squads for the ACC Men's Asia Cup and the three-match ODI series against Afghanistan. Following the list of complete squad;

Openers: Abdullah Shafique, Fakhar Zaman and Imam-ul-Haq

Middle order: Babar Azam (captain), Salman Ali Agha, Iftikhar Ahmed, Tayyab Tahir and Saud Shakeel (only for Afghanistan series).

Wicketkeepers: Mohammad Rizwan and Mohammad Haris

Spinners: Shadab Khan (vice-captain), Mohammad Nawaz and Usama Mir

Pace all-rounder: Faheem Ashraf

Pacers: Haris Rauf, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Naseem Shah and Shaheen Afridi

Tayyab Tahir, Faheem Ashraf and Saud Shakeel have been included in the squad for the Afghanistan series. Shan Masood and Ihsanullah are the two players from the squad that played New Zealand in the five ODIs in April and May to miss out.

Faheem returns to the side after two years and further adds to the balance of the side as a fast bowling all-rounder. His last outing in the format was during Pakistan’s three-match away series against England in July 2021.

This is Tayyab’s second call-up in the ODI side. His maiden call-up came ahead of the three ODIs against New Zealand in January following a stellar show in the Pakistan Cup 2022-23 that saw him finish as the leading run-getter in the event.