Farhan-led Shaheens all set for Australia tour

KARACHI: Sahibzada Farhan, a top-order batter, has been named the captain of Pakistan Shaheens for the upcoming tour of Australia.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has confirmed that Farhan will lead the red-ball team in two four-day matches against Bangladesh ‘A’ in Darwin, Australia. The squad is set to depart for Australia via Dubai on Saturday (today).

During a pre-departure press conference, Sahibzada Farhan expressed frustration over not getting a fair chance as an opener for the senior team. Having played five T20Is for Pakistan, he said that he has not had consistent opportunities to showcase his abilities as an opener, a position in which he has excelled in domestic cricket.

Farhan stressed the importance of receiving fair chances at his preferred position, highlighting the need for more opportunities for players like himself to establish a strong bench for the national team. He emphasised the significance of consistent match exposure for Pakistan Shaheens and the Pakistan Under-19 team to nurture and develop promising talent for the senior squad.

Pacer Hunain Shah has been sidelined from the series due to an injury, and all-rounder Qasim Akram has been selected as his replacement.

Pakistan Shaheens are scheduled to play two four-day matches against Bangladesh ‘A’ in Darwin, followed by 50-over matches and participation in a nine-team T20 tournament. The captain for the white-ball series is expected to be announced in the near future.

Pakistan Shaheens squad:

Haseebullah, Qasim Akram, Kamran Ghulam, Kashif Ali, Khurram Shahzad, Mehran Mumtaz, Mohammad Huraira, Mubasir Khan, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Omair Bin Yousuf, Sahibzada Farhan (c), Shahnawaz Dahani, Tayyab Tahir and Umar Amin.