As expected, Pakistan named their playing XI a day ahead of the matchday in Asia Cup 2023. The 2-time champions made one change to their playing XI for their Super 4s clash against Bangladesh in Lahore which is scheduled for Wednesday, September 6.
Pakistan began a new practice of naming their playing XI on the eve of matchdays ahead of the Asia Cup 2023 opener against Nepal. Pakistan continued it by naming an unchanged XI for their big-ticket match against India on September 2.
Pakistan have dropped left-arm spinner Mohammad Nawaz and brought in medium-pace all-rounder Faheem Ashraf into the XI for the first match of the Super Fours stage of the Asia Cup. The decision has come after Pakistan spinners failed to make a mark against India in their second Super Fours match in Pallekele, Sri Lanka.
Asia Cup 2023: Points Table
Left-arm spinner Nawaz conceded as many as 55 runs in 8 overs while Shadab Khan leaked 57 runs in 9 overs and both of them went wicketless. Pakistan did not have get the desired result from their spinners in the middle-overs after their pacers had troubled the Indian top-order, leaving them reeling at 66 for 4. Shaheen Afridi dismissed Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli cheaply while Haris Rauf got the big wickets of Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer. However, Ishan Kishan and Hardik Pandya stitched a 138-run stand for the 5th wicket to help India out of trouble and post 266 on the board.
Pakistan had the option of playing pacer Mohammad Wasim Jr. or leg-spinner Usama Mir but they seem to have backed the batting ability of Faheem Ashraf, who last played for them in Colombo against Afghanistan.
PAK vs BAN, Asia Cup Super Four
PAKISTAN XI: Babar Azam (c), Shadab Khan (vc), Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Salman Agha, Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Rizwan (WK), Faheem Ashraf, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf
Bangladesh, who qualified for the Super 4s after a big win over Afghanistan, also welcome back Litton Das, who missed the group stages due to illness.
welcome back Litton Das for the Super 4 stage of Asia Cup 2023 after the opening batter made a recovery from viral fever.
It will be interesting to see if Bangladesh slot Litton right back at the top, considering the heroics of Mehidy Hasan Miraz, who took the place of Das at the top of the order against Afghanistan, and made a memorable hundred.
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