LAHORE: Pakistan will announce its national Twenty20 team on Thursday for the forthcoming three-match home series against Bangladesh.

The said matches are scheduled to be held at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium on Jan 24, 25 and 27 during the first phase of the tour, which has been split into three stages, mainly due to security concerns of the touring side.

In the second phase, Bangladesh will visit Rawalpindi to play the first of the two Tests from Feb 7-11.

Bangladesh in the final phase of the tour will come to Karachi to feature in a one-off ODI on April 3 followed by the second Test there from April 5.

Meanwhile, head coach-cum-chief selector Misbah-ul-Haq held an initial meeting with T20 captain Babar Azam and selection committee coordinator Nadeem Khan at the Gaddafi Stadium on Wednesday to discuss the national team selection.

“The discussion process will continue on Thursday when they involve the six selectors, following which Misbah and Babar will announce the side at 2:30pm in the media conference room at Far End, Gaddafi Stadium,” a PCB announcement said.

It is learnt that Misbah has considered the names of former Pakistan captain Sarfraz Ahmed and Kamran Akmal, as wicket-keeper, keeping in view their performances at the domestic circuit.

The Pakistan team management is worried because currently the national T20 team has not been doing well for the past 12 months or so, despite being world’s top-ranked team.

During the year 2019, Pakistan played 10 Twenty20 Internationals, losing eight and winning only one and that too 12 months ago against South Africa.

Published in Dawn, January 16th, 2020