LAHORE: Pakistan team flew out to Sri Lanka on Thursday to face Afghanistan in the three-match ODI series, starting from August 22.
Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on their X (formerly known as Twitter) account shared a video of the players interacting with each other and fans before they took off for Sri Lanka.
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
Nine Pakistani players departed from Allama Iqbal International Airpot in Lahore this afternoon, including Abdullah Shafique, Tayyab Tahir, Salman Ali Agha, Saud Shakeel, M Wasim Jnr, Faheem Ashraf, M Rizwan, Haris Rauf and Shaheen Afridi.
Meanwhile, vice-captain Shadab Khan will fly from Karachi to join the team in Sri Lanka, whereas his fellow leg spinner Usama Mir, who was participating in The Hundred will join the team from the United Kingdom (UK).
The players who are participating in the ongoing edition of the Lanka Premier League (LPL), including captain Babar Azam will join the team in Hambantota today.
Pakistan team director Mickey Arthur will also join the squad in Sri Lanka on August 23, as told by head coach Grant Bradburn yesterday.
“We are looking forward to him [Mickey Arthur] joining us on August 23rd [in Sri Lanka], he will be with us through to the match against India in Kandy,” Bradburn told while talking to the media on the sidelines of the national team’s training camp.
Pakistan team is scheduled to play a three-match ODI series against Afghanistan in Sri Lanka on August 22, 24 and 26. The first two ODI will take place in Hambantota, while the third game will be played in Colombo.
The upcoming series is the first bilateral ODI series between Pakistan and Afghanistan. Before that, they played only four ODIs and Pakistan remained unbeaten in all.
Afterwards, the Pakistan team will Pakistan will face Nepal in the curtain raiser of the Asia Cup, starting on August 30 at Multan Cricket Stadium.
Pakistan’s Squad for the Afghanistan Series:
Openers: Abdullah Shafique, Fakhar Zaman and Imam-ul-Haq
Middle order: Babar Azam (captain), Salman Ali Agha, Iftikhar Ahmed, Tayyab Tahir and Saud Shakeel
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