In Pakistan’s upcoming T20I tour of Ireland and England, skipper Babar Azam is closing in on the run tally of Indian stars Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma in T20I cricket. Currently, Babar ranks third in T20I cricket’s highest run-scorers, with 3,823 runs in 107 innings, trailing behind Kohli and Rohit. Kohli tops the list with 4,037 runs in 109 innings, followed closely by Rohit with 3,974 runs in 143 innings.
Babar has the chance to surpass these Indian stalwarts during Pakistan’s crucial T20I series against Ireland and England, which will serve as vital preparation for the T20 World Cup scheduled in June in the USA and the West Indies. The squad for this series includes the return of pace bowler Haris Rauf, who missed the New Zealand series due to a shoulder injury, and the comeback of seamer Hasan Ali.
Most players from the New Zealand series have been retained, with Salman Ali Agha joining the 18-member squad after being reserved during the Black Caps series. Additionally, Azam Khan returns to the squad after missing the New Zealand series due to injury, while Mohammad Rizwan, recovering from a hamstring injury sustained in the third T20I against New Zealand, has also been included in the travelling squad.
The series will commence with a three-match T20I series against Ireland from May 10 to 14, followed by a four-match T20I series against England starting on May 22.
Pakistan squad: Babar Azam (C), Abrar Ahmed, Azam Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Rizwan, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usman Khan.