Pakistan allrounder Shoaib Malik revealed his ideal Pakistan opening pair for the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 scheduled to take place in the USA and West Indies next month.
The veteran Pakistan suggests a couple of ideas for the opening combinations, 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.
Shoaib on the other hand believes that Babar Azam and Mohammed Rizwan would be the ideal combination for the moderate matches which does not require an aggressive opening.
“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.
For Pakistan, Babar Azam and Mohammed Rizwan record the highest partnership by runs in T20I matches. The duo scored an unbeaten 203 against England on 22 September 2022 in Karachi and surpassed their previous record of 197 vs South Africa in 2021.
Babar Azam will lead the Pakistan cricket team in the ICC event while Gary Kirsten will be their new head coach. Pakistan Cricket Board(PCB) have appointed Gary Kirsten and Jason Gillespie as the men’s team head coaches for different formats with the concept of split coaching being embraced by the board.
Gary Kirsten will coach the Pakistan men’s side in white-ball formats(ODI+T20I) while former Australian pacer Gillespie will be the head coach of the Test team.
Kirsten will also be in charge of the side for next year’s ICC Champions Trophy 2025 in Pakistan, ACC T20 Asia Cup 2025 and the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 in India and Sri Lanka.
In the T20 World Cup 2024, Pakistan has been placed under Group A along with India, Ireland, USA and Canada. Pakistan will play their first match of the tournament on June 6 against the USA in Grand Prairie Stadium, Dallas.
