Pakistan finalise team for second Australia T20I

Pakistan will take on Australia in the second Twenty20 International (T20I) in Canberra on Tuesday with both teams looking to take ascendancy in the three-match series.  

The first of three T20Is between Australia and Pakistan on Sunday in Sydney was abandoned due to rain, with no result declared.

The Babar Azam-led Pakistan team did not take part in training session ahead of the match as they took a four-hour bus trip to reach from Sydney to Canberra. Pakistan team dinner was hosted by High Commissioner H.E. Babar Amin at High Commission of Pakistan, upon team’s arrival in Australia’s capital city.

Pakistan is expected to make no changes to the lineup that took part in the first T20I despite question marks over pacer Mohammad Irfan’s bowling form. Sources have revealed that Bowling Coach Waqar Younis comforted the lanky fast-bowler, after the match on Sunday, as he was dejected due to his lacklustre bowling performance — which saw him concede 31 runs in two overs.    

Opener Fakhar Zaman is also likely to get the nod for second T20I despite his poor run of form in the past few matches. The left-handed's T20I record since his 91-run innings against Australia, in July 2018, has seen him score only 108 runs in 11 innings.

Sources further stated that Pakistan head coach-cum-chief selector Misbahul Haq is of the opinion that it won’t be fair to drop players after giving them just one match of the series.

ALSO READ: Carey heaps praise on ‘classy’ Babar 

Pakistan’s number one T20I ranking was at stake before the beginning of the series, in case Australia won all three matches, but after the washout in the first T20I the Men in Green will stay at the top of the table even if they lose the remaining two matches.  

The pitch at the Manuka Oval is expected to be flat one which could lead to a high-scoring encounter and bowlers will have to be on their toes if they are to get the better of the batsmen.

Squads

Babar Azam (c), Asif Ali, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Sohail, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Imam-ul-Haq, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Irfan, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Musa Khan, Shadab Khan, Usman Qadir.

Aaron Finch (capt), Ashton Agar, Alex Carey, Pat Cummins, Glenn Maxwell, Ben McDermott, Kane Richardson, Steve Smith,  Billy Stanlake, Mitchell Starc, Ashton Turner, Andrew Tye, David Warner, Adam Zampa.