Shoaib Malik picks his ideal Pakistan opening pair for T20 World Cup 2024

Veteran Pakistan cricketer Shoaib Malik has shared his insights on Pakistan's opening combination for the upcoming T20 World Cup scheduled to take place in the USA and West Indies next month. 

Speaking at a media conference held at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York, Malik suggested that if matches are high-scoring affairs, it would be prudent to have Saim Ayub as the opener.

"Look, Saim Ayub is the kind of player who plays a high-risk game. Any batter who plays with high risk has fewer chances of consistent performance, but there is a lot of talent in him. You need to see that if high-scoring matches are happening, then you will have to open with Saim Ayub," Malik said.

However, he also emphasized the importance of adapting to match conditions. In scenarios where the matches are not high-scoring and scores hover around 160-170, Malik suggested that Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan could be viable options as openers.

"But if high-scoring games are not happening, then it depends on the conditions, if it's those 160-170 score matches again, then I guess Babar and Rizwan should open," he added.

Pakistan's World Cup journey begins in Dallas, where they will take on co-host USA on June 6, followed by matches against India on June 9 and Canada on June 12 in New York. Their final league match against Ireland is slated for June 16 in Florida.

Pakistan T20 World Cup schedule:

• Pakistan vs USA on June 6 (Dallas)
• India vs Pakistan on June 9 (New York)
• Pakistan vs Canada on June 11 (New York)
• Pakistan vs Ireland on June 16 (Lauderhill)