World Twenty20 on the minds as Afridi leads young Pakistan and England bank on form

DUBAI // Former champions Pakistan will face England in a three-match Twenty20 series in Dubai from today as they begin to settle their squads for next year’s World Twenty20.

Pakistan finished runners-up in the first edition of the World Twenty20 in 2007 before winning the crown two years later, in England, and are now ranked No 2 in the shortest format of the game.

They need to win the series, by at least a 2-1 margin, to maintain their standing, a fact that captain Shahid Afridi says will spur on his team. “We want to settle down before the World Twenty20,” said Afridi of the event to be held in India from March 11 through April 3.

“Besides that, we are ranked No 2 so it’s an important series for us in many ways and we will do our best to win it.”

Pakistan are likely to get two to three Twenty20 matches if their series against India is held in Sri Lanka next month, ahead of a three-match trip to New Zealand.

Before the sixth edition of the World Twenty20 they will also feature in the Asia Cup to be held in Bangladesh in February.

Pakistan are hampered by the absence of ace spinner Saeed Ajmal, the highest wicket-taker in all Twenty20 cricket with 85. He is struggling with a new bowling action which needed alteration after his original action was deemed illegal.

Paceman Umar Gul, who is joint-second highest with 83 wickets, was also not selected as he is recovering from injury.

Opening batsman Mohammad Hafeez is also banned from bowling. But Afridi, who also has 83 wickets, hopes his young team will fight hard.

England, who won the World Twenty20 in 2010, are ranked eighth in the format but coach Trevor Bayliss said he believes their 3-1 one-day success over Pakistan last week will give the squad confidence.

“England players should have a lot of confidence from the way they’ve played going into the three T20 matches, knowing they can play in these conditions against this quality of opposition,” said Bayliss, whose team lost the Test series 2-0.

The Australian coach said the series will help England prepare for the World Twenty20.

“It’s another step on the way to that World Twenty20 in March-April.

“We want to play this T20 series and win that as well as we possibly can, but it’s also a bit of a testing ground.”

pradley@thenational.ae

World Twenty20 on the minds as Afridi leads young Pakistan and England bank on form

As hosts Pakistan lack quality spinners but the captain says, "we are ranked No 2 so it’s an important series for us in many ways and we will do our best to win it.”