LAHORE, Pakistan, CMC — A confident Pakistan team was poised to leave for the Caribbean yesterday to begin their limited overs series against West Indies.
The touring side, which will be led by captain Sarfraz Ahmed, will contest four Twenty20 Internationals and three One-Day Internationals from March 26 to April 11.
Head coach Mickey Arthur said his side was upbeat ahead of the series and urged them to adopt a positive style against the West Indies.
“We need to be brave and play a more attacking and exciting brand of cricket,” Arthur said ahead of Pakistan’s departure.
Pakistan have been hurt by the non-selection of the likes of Sharjeel Khan and Khalif Latif who has been provisionally suspended on charges linked to spot-fixing during the just concluded Pakistan Super League.
However, the group will benefit from the presence of skipper Sarfraz and key players like Ahmed Shehzad and Kamran Akmal.
Sarfraz is leading both sides for the first time, taking on the responsibility of the One-Day International side following Azhar Ali’s resignation after losing 4-1 in Australia last January.
“I am excited to have a new captain in Sarfraz Ahmed,” Arthur said.
Pakistan open their tour on Sunday when they take on West Indies in the first T20 at Kensington Oval in Barbados, before playing the remaining three games at Queen’s Park Oval on March 30, April 1 and 2.
The entire ODI series will be played in Guyana from April 22 to May 14.
SQUAD:
Twenty20 — Sarfraz Ahmed (captain) Ahmed Shehzad, Kamran Akmal, Mohammad Hafeez, Babar Azam, Shoaib Malik, Fakhar Zaman, Imad Wasim, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Hasan Ali, Sohail Tanvir, Wahab Riaz, Rumman Raees, Usman Shinwari.
One-day — Sarfraz Ahmed (captain), Ahmed Shehzad, Kamran Akmal, Mohammad Hafeez, Babar Azam, Shoaib Malik, Fakhar Zaman, Asif Zakir, Imad Wasim, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Asghar, Hasan Ali, Mohammad Amir, Wahab Riaz, Fahim Ashraf, Junaid Khan.