BULWAYO: Pakistan T20I captain Salman Ali Agha says his focus is on emerging talent in the upcoming three-match T20I series against Zimbabwe.
Speaking to the press, Agha expressed his commitment to giving new talents an opportunity to shine at an international level.
“Our first priority is to win the series, but it is equally important to provide opportunities for our young players. This series is a fantastic opportunity to assess the strength of our bench and see how they perform under pressure,” he said.
Revealing the approach in the upcoming series, the stand-in captain of the T20I format said they would play an aggressive brand of cricket while giving young players a stage to prove themselves.
“We won the ODI series and now we have shifted our focus to the T20 series. Our goal is to keep the momentum going and we want young people to play freely and enjoy the game,” he added.
The T20I squad will feature several players who have performed outstandingly in domestic cricket.
“Our team includes several young players, including some good spinners. We are focused on developing their skills and giving them the opportunity to showcase their talent,” Agha explained. “There is no pressure on them; we want them to play with an attacking mentality.”
Agha recognized the strength of the hosts in specific conditions.
“Zimbabwe are a strong team at home and they have winners who can turn the tide. We will do our best to control them, but at the same time, it is crucial that our young players learn from these challenges.” he said.
The PCB, earlier, revealed the playing XI for the first match.
Playing XI:
Salman Ali Agha (c), Saim Ayub, Omair bin Yousuf, Usman Khan, Tayyab Tahir, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Jahandad Khan, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Haris Rauf, Abrar Ahmed and Sufiyan Moqim.
Sohail Imran is a senior reporter at Geo News.
