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No Fakhar; Saim To Open, Shadab Replaced: Pakistan's Strongest XI For 1st T20I vs BAN

Debashis Sarangi

Fakhar Zaman and Saim Ayub [Source: @ICC, @CricCrazyJohns/X]Fakhar Zaman and Saim Ayub [Source: @ICC, @CricCrazyJohns/X]

On Sunday, Pakistan will cross swords against Bangladesh in the first T20I of the upcoming three-match series. The high-voltage clash will be played at the iconic Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Dhaka. 

Led by Salman Ali Agha, Pakistan recently crushed Bangladesh by three-nil, emerging victorious in the home T20I series. The Men in Green are high on confidence as they start as the favourites to seal the series opener in Dhaka. 

As the stage is set for a cracking contest, let's analyse and find out their strongest combination for this match. 

Farhan Over Fakhar; Saim, Haris To Retain Their Spots

Why should Pakistan choose Farhan over Fakhar?

  • Recent international success: Veteran opener Fakhar Zaman was dropped after his failure in the first T20I of the previous series. Sahibzada Farhan, who replaced him as Saim Ayub's opening partner, struck a blistering 74-run knock in the second game. 
  • Red-hot form: Farhan has showcased remarkable form of late, amassing a truckload of runs in the National T20 as well as Pakistan Super League. The stylish right-hander was the top-scorer in both these tournaments, scoring 1054 runs at an average of 55.47. 
  • Complementary to Saim Ayub: Sahibzada Farhan is technically superior to Fakhar Zaman. As Pakistan already have the firepower in Saim Ayub, Mohammad Haris and Hasan Nawaz, Farhan should be preferred over Fakhar, thanks to his incredible ability to anchor the innings. Also, being a right-hander, he complements the left-handed Saim Ayub, posing a more challenging threat to the Bangladesh bowlers. 

The swashbuckling Mohammad Haris, who struck a glorious ton in the previous series, should retain his spot as the number three batter. Haris is familiar with the conditions in Bangladesh, having played a lot of cricket in the BPL. 

Meanwhile, Saim Ayub is the obvious first-choice opener, having slammed 547 runs at a blistering strike rate of 138.48. Besides playing quick-fire cameos at the top order, Saim can chip in with crucial overs with his handy finger-spin on Dhaka's spin-friendly pitch. 

Salman, Khushdil, Nawaz To Play As All-Rounders In Shadab's Absence

Player
Runs
Wickets
Salman Agha3073
Khushdil Shah3896
Nawaz47750
Faheem Ashraf32339

(Pakistan's all-rounders in T20Is)

In Shadab Khan's absence, the onus will be on skipper Salman Ali Agha to play the primary all-rounder's role alongside Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Nawaz and Faheem Ashraf. Agha, Khushdil and Nawaz could be impactful with their spin bowling, while Faheem's late-order hitting and medium pace bowling make him a valuable asset in the shortest format. 

Bowlers: Abbas Afridi, Abrar Ahmed, Salman Mirza

Why is Abbas Afridi an automatic choice?

  • Hasan Ali, who bagged eight wickets in three matches in the last series, has been rested for the Bangladesh T20Is. In his absence, Abbas Afridi is the front-runner to lead Pakistan's pace attack, having performed admirably in the shortest format. His ability to hit the deck and deceive the batters with wily variations might make him a tricky customer on Bangladesh pitches.

Why should Pakistan prefer Abrar and Salman over Muqeem and Ahmed Daniyal?

  • Since making his debut, Abrar Ahmed has been Pakistan's first-choice spinner in T20Is. His performance has been satisfactory in the format so far, as he has bagged 17 wickets in 12 innings at a healthy strike rate of 14.71. 
  • Therefore, Pakistan should persist with Abrar and keep an extra seam-bowling option unless a dry track is dished out in Dhaka. 
  • Meanwhile, Salman Mirza brings the left-arm variety to the table and has been a significantly more successful bowler than Ahmed Daniyal. While Mirza has bagged 39 wickets in 23 T20s, Daniyal has less than one wicket per innings in the shortest format. So, ideally, Mirza should get the nod ahead of Daniyal for the first T20I. 

Pakistan's Strongest Playing XI For 1st T20I vs Bangladesh

Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Mohammad Haris, Hasan Nawaz, Salman Ali Agha (C), Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Abbas Afridi, Abrar Ahmed, Salman Mirza