DURBAN: All-rounder Salman Ali Agha has been left out of Pakistan’s playing XI for the first T20I of the three-match series, scheduled to be played here at the Kingsmead Stadium on Tuesday.
Agha, who led Pakistan in the recently concluded three-match T20I series away against Zimbabwe, managed to score just 45 runs in two innings, besides taking two wickets, and thus lost his place in the team’s playing XI.
The newly revealed line-up also marks the return of Pakistan’s opening pair, star batsman Babar Azam and white-ball captain Mohammad Rizwan, while Saim Ayub has been demoted to bat at number three, with wicketkeeper-batsman Usman Khan next.
Usman forms the Green Shirts’ middle order for the series opener with Tayyab Tahir, Muhammad Irfan Khan and Mohammad Abbas Afridi.
Meanwhile, left-arm pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi, who along with Babar, returned to the team after being rested for the Zimbabwe series, will lead the bowling attack, comprising Abbas, Haris Rauf, Sufiyan Muqeem and Abrar Ahmed.
Pakistan’s XI: Mohammad Rizwan (c), Babar Azam, Saim Ayub, Usman Khan, Tayyab Tahir, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Abbas Afridi, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf, Sufiyan Muqeem and Abrar Ahmed.
