- Pakistan to play opening game at Grand Prairie Cricket Stadium.
- Green Shirts to take on rivals India in New York on June 9.
- Babar Azam reminisces Pakistan’s 2009 T20 World Cup glory.
DALLAS: Babar Azam is aiming for a third-time charm as he returns to lead Pakistan in the International Cricket Council Men’s T20 World Cup, which commenced on June 1 in the USA and the Caribbean.
The 2009 champions are set to commence their campaign in this year’s T20 World Cup today at 8:30pm against hosts USA at Dallas’s Grand Prairie Cricket Stadium.
Following today’s match, the Green Shirts will take on rivals India in New York’s Nassau County International Cricket Stadium on June 9 before facing Canada at the same venue on June 11.
Pakistan will play their final first-round match against Ireland on June 16 in Florida.
Additionally, if Azam’s side manages to advance into the Super-Eight stage, they will play three matches in Antigua and Barbados from June 19 to 23.
While interacting with the media on Wednesday, Azam reminisced about Pakistan’s 2009 victory under former captain Younis Khan.
He revealed that it “motivated and inspired” him to follow in the footsteps of “stars of the 2009 side and before.”
He added: “It is now my career objective and target to win the T20 World Cup, relive those memories and present the title to the passionate people of Pakistan, who have always stood behind us like a rock in good and not so very good days.”
Who’s playing?
Babar Azam (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Azam Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Rizwan, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Usman Khan
Full schedule for Pakistan’s matches
6 June – vs USA, Grand Prairie Cricket Stadium, Dallas
9 June – vs India, Nassau County International Cricket Stadium, New York
11 June – vs Canada, Nassau County International Cricket Stadium, New York
16 June – vs Ireland, Central Broward Park & Broward County Stadium, Lauderhill, Florida
First round groups
Group A – India (A1), Pakistan (A2), USA, Canada and Ireland
Group B – England (B1), Australia (B2), Namibia, Scotland and Oman
Group C – New Zealand (C1), West Indies (C2), Afghanistan, Uganda and Papua New Guinea (PNG)
Group D – South Africa (D1), Sri Lanka (D2), Bangladesh, Netherlands and Nepal
Super Eight (if Pakistan qualify):
19 June – vs D1, Antigua
21 June – vs C2, Barbados
23 June – vs B1, Barbados
