Pakistan taking Zim lightly

PAKISTAN bowling coach Younis Khan has claimed that Zimbabwe was a relatively weaker opponent and revealed that the young players would receive a chance to prove themselves in the upcoming series which will be played in the Asian country this month.

Despite the three-match oneday international (ODI) series being a Super League tie, Younis said this was going to be an opportunity for them to give youthful players a run.

In the Super League, each of the 13 sides, including the 12 Test playing sides as well as Netherlands, will be looking to make it among the top seven on the table to get automatic tickets to the 2023 International Cricket Council World Cup.

“We shouldn’t say this, but Zimbabwe

will be a comparatively weaker opponent. This is the perfect time to test our youth. Misbahul Haq also believes that youngsters should be tested. Right now we have Shaheen Shah Afridi, Mohammad Hasnain and Haris Rauf who are new to the side. If a player performs well during the ongoing National T20 Cup then he will surely be given a chance as well. We are all looking at the performances of the players. The Zimbabwe series would be an excellent platform for youngsters. Playing a home series and performing well is the dream of every player,” Younis told Pakistan media.

Pakistan’s head coach-cumchief selector Misbahul Haq said their squads for the tour that includes a three-match T-20 international series, will be announced on October 19.

“The T20I and ODI teams for the series against Zimbabwe will be announced on October 19 after the conclusion of the ongoing National T20 Cup. We will be announcing a squad of either 22 or 23 players for the series. We are also planning an inter-squad one-day encounter in Multan before the scheduled series. We are looking at the performances of all players. We will give chances to players who can perform consistently well. New players are performing very well in the tournament,” Misbah said.

Speaking about the inclusion of senior players in the squad, Misbah said: “We are still thinking about whether or not the seniors should be rested against Zimbabwe.”

Zimbabwe have started preparations for the tour and will be going into quarantine for two weeks before they travel.

They will further isolate for two weeks when they get to Pakistan as a way of mitigating against the possible spread of COVID-19.