WC 2023: Pakistan to play first match against Netherlands today

Hyderabad: Team Pakistan will start its series in the ongoing International Cricket Council (ICC) Men's Cricket World Cup 2023 in India today (Friday) facing Netherlands in Hyderabad Deccan.

In the mega event, the green shirts will start their campaign against relatively easy opponents. The Pakistan team is likely to include six batsmen, two all-rounders and three fast bowlers.

The preparations of the Pakistan team for their first match against the Netherlands in Hyderabad Deccan have also been completed. The national team has trained hard and played two warm-up matches to start the event.

It is yet to be decided whether Fakhar Zaman will open the innings with Imam-ul-Haq or Abdullah Shafiq in Pakistan's possible final XI for the match.

Squads

Pakistan

Babar Azam (c), Abdullah Shafique, Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Saud Shakeel, Salman Ali Agha, Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Nawaz, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Haris (wk), Muhammad Rizwan (wk), Abrar Ahmed, Haris Rauf, Hassan Ali, Mohammad Wasim Jr., Shaheen Afridi, Usama Mir and Zaman Khan.

Netherlands

Scott Edwads (c), Max O’Dowd, Teja Nidamanuru, Wesley Barresi, Bas de Leede, Colin Ackemann, Roelof van der Merwe, Saqib Zulfiqar, Sybrand Engelbrecht, Vikramjit Singh, Noah Croes (wk), Aryan Dutt, Kyle Klein, Logan van Beek, Paul van Meekeren, Ryan Klein and Shariz Ahmad.

The match between Pakistan and Netherlands will start at 1:30 pm Pakistan Standard Time.