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Captain Salman Ali Agha is "excited" to lead an "interesting" Pakistan side ahead of the first T20I of the three-match series against South Africa, scheduled to begin at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Tuesday.
Pakistan's squad is a blend of returning faces and new blood. Premier batter Babar Azam and pace spearhead Naseem Shah have returned to the T20I squad. Right-arm off-spinner Usman Tariq and wicketkeeper batter Usman Khan stand in contention to earn their first T20I cap for Pakistan. Salman is hopeful about having a great home series months before the T20 World Cup 2026. "I think we have a very interesting and exciting side, with a few comebacks and a few new faces as well. I am very excited to lead this team, and we really hope to have a great series," Salman said as quoted from Geo News. In its last home T20I series, Pakistan hosted Bangladesh and sweeped the series 3-0 in May. Since then, the Men in Green have struggled to find a consistent patch in the shortest format of cricket while trying different combinations and strategies. Pakistan toured Bangladesh in July and lost 2-1, but found the winning momentum against the West Indies with a 2-1 series win in August. Pakistan then engineered a T20I tri-series win over Afghanistan and the UAE, but floundered thrice against India and lost the Asia Cup crown. With Pakistan trying to fine-tune its preparations for next year's showpiece event, Salman is assured that his side is good enough to beat any top-tier nation. "We had a great series against Bangladesh at home, and I am hopeful for good results in the upcoming series as well. We just want to execute our plans for a longer period. As I always say, we have a great team -- a team that can beat any side. Obviously, South Africa are a very good side; they have a few misses, but still possess a lot of talent," Salman added. Pakistan T20I squad: Salman Ali Agha (c), Abdul Samad, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Hasan Nawaz, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Mohammad Salman Mirza, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan (wk), Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usman Khan (wk), Usman Tariq. Reserves: Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Sufiyan Moqim. (ANI)
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