The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has appointed Rohail Nazir as the captain of Pakistan Shaheens for the upcoming Top End T20 Series in Darwin, Australia. The tournament, organized by Northern Territory Cricket (NTC), will take place from 30 July to 6 August.
The Top End T20 Series will feature six teams, including NT Strike and Pakistan Shaheens, as well as Australian Capitol Territory’s ACT Comets, Melbourne Stars, Melbourne Renegades, and Papua New Guinea (PNG). The format will be T20, with the top two teams advancing to the final.
In addition to the T20 matches, Pakistan Shaheens will also play two 50-over matches against PNG and NT Strike on 8 and 9 August, respectively.
This tour to Darwin is part of the PCB’s initiative to provide more opportunities for emerging cricketers to gain experience in different conditions against diverse oppositions across all formats. This exposure is intended to help them improve their skills and expand the pool of talented players. Previously, Pakistan Shaheens toured Zimbabwe and is currently in Sri Lanka for the ACC Men’s Emerging Teams Asia Cup. The squad is also scheduled to participate in the 19th Asian Games Hangzhou 2022 from 19 September to 8 October.
Rohail Nazir, who has played 33 first-class matches, will lead the side as captain. He previously captained Pakistan Shaheens and was part of the squad that toured Zimbabwe in May, playing two four-day matches and six 50-over matches.
The Pakistan Shaheens squad for the Top End T20 Series includes a mix of experienced players and young talents. Aaliyan Mahmood, Basit Ali, and Shawaiz Irfan featured in various domestic and U19 series, while Faisal Akram and Mohammad Irfan Khan were part of the HBL Pakistan Super League 2023. Syed Zeeshan Zameer played for Islamabad United in the same edition of the league.
Additionally, the squad also features seven teenagers who were part of the Pakistan U19 squad that toured Bangladesh in May 2023. They are Amir Hassan, Ali Asfand, Arafat Minhas, Azan Awais, Sajjad Ali, Shamyl Hussain, and Wahaj Riaz.
The schedule for Pakistan Shaheens’ matches is as follows:
– 30 Jul – vs NT Strike (T20)
– 31 Jul – vs ACT Comets (T20)
– 1 Aug – vs Melbourne Renegades (T20)
– 2 Aug – vs Melbourne Stars (T20)
– 4 Aug – vs PNG (T20)
– 6 Aug – Final
– 8 Aug – vs PNG (50-over)
– 9 Aug – vs NT Strike (50-over)
Leave a Reply