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Pakistan are taking on Canada in the 22nd match of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 at Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York. Pakistan skipper Babar Azam won the toss and opted to field first announcing one alteration to the lineup that faced India.
Must win for Pakistan
Pakistan’s prospects of advancing to the Super 8 stage are very slim, as another loss would practically end their World Cup journey. The Men in Green are under intense pressure, and a victory is essential to keep their hopes alive for progressing to the Super 8 stage.
Canada’s underdog advantage
Canada, the underdogs, are in a position with minimal pressure and everything to gain. They have already made a statement with an impressive win over Ireland and aim to cause another upset.
Iftikhar Ahmed not playing
Veteran player Iftikhar Ahmed was left out of Pakistan’s playing XI. Iftikhar has been unable to make a significant impact in the first two matches, which saw Pakistan losing to both the USA and India.
Reason behind Iftikhar’s exclusion
Pakistan’s captain Babar mentioned that the moisture on the pitch would be beneficial in the first six overs. Although he did not explicitly state the reason for Iftikhar’s absence, it seems that Iftikhar’s current form and the team’s combination requirements led to his exclusion. Babar announced that young star Saim Ayub has been included in the XI in place of the veteran batter.
“We will have a bowl first. It is an early morning match and want to utilize the first six overs. We have one change – Saim Ayub is in. We have had a discussion and are focused on today’s game,” said Babar during the toss.
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Canada’s strategy
Meanwhile, Canadian captain Saad Bin Zafar remarked that they would have opted to bowl first as well, considering it looked like a favorable wicket. He stated that if they manage to post a good total, they are confident in their ability to defend it. He also mentioned one change to their lineup: Ravinderpal Singh replaces Dilpreet Bajwa.
Playing XIs of both sides:
Canada: Aaron Johnson, Navneet Dhaliwal, Pargat Singh, Nicholas Kirton, Shreyas Movva(w), Ravinderpal Singh, Saad Bin Zafar(c), Dillon Heyliger, Kaleem Sana, Junaid Siddiqui, Jeremy Gordon
Pakistan: Mohammad Rizwan(w), Saim Ayub, Babar Azam(c), Fakhar Zaman, Usman Khan, Shadab Khan, Imad Wasim, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Amir