Pakistan wins toss, elects to bat in 1st T20 against Zimbabwe

BULAWAYO, Zimbabwe (AP) — Pakistan won the toss and elected to bat in the first Twenty20 against Zimbabwe on Sunday.

Pakistan has rested all its frontline white-ball players – including captain Mohammad Rizwan – for the three-match series as it tests its bench strength. Salman Ali Agha will lead the side that includes fast bowler Haris Rauf as its most experienced T20 player.

Rauf needs one more wicket to become Pakistan’s leading T20 bowler and surpass leg-spinner Shadab Khan’s tally of 107 wickets.

Opening batter Saim Ayub and leg-spinner Abrar Ahmed were not originally part of the T20 squad, but were retained for the series after performing well in the preceding one-day series against Zimbabwe, which Pakistan won 2-1.

“We want to give as many chances to youngsters because this series is all about youngsters,” Salman said at the toss. “We just want to put good total on the board as it (the wicket) could get slower and lower.”

Zimbabwe will be led by Sikandar Raza and has recalled Wellington Masakadza and Ryan Burl for the Twenty20 series after both missed out the ODI series.

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Line-ups:

Pakistan: Salman Ali Agha (captain), Saim Ayub, Omair Bin Yousuf, Usman Khan, Tayyab Tahir, Irfan Khan, Jahandad Khan, Abbas Afridi, Haris Rauf, Abrar Ahmed, Sufiyan Muqeem.

Zimbabwe: Sikandar Raza (captain), Brian Bennett, Tadiwanashe Marumani, Ryan Burl, Dion Myers, Clive Madande, Wellington Masakadza, Tashinga Musekiwa, Blessing Muzarabani, Richard Ngarava, Trevor Gwandu.