Pakistan all set to face West Indies in first T20I tonight

Big day for Pakistan cricket as the cricket starving nation is all set to host the first match of the much-awaited T20I series between Pakistan and West Indies tonight.

A confident and focused Pakistan is expected to dominate the series as it goes against youthful West Indies, which is missing many of its key players.

Captain of Pakistan team, Sarfraz Ahmed had shared that he has set eyes on a clean sweep of the West Indies in order to retain the top T20I team ranking for Pakistan.

"Definitely, we [are aiming for] clean sweep, but [we won't be taking West Indies lightly]. Their team is quite strong, their players have been playing a lot of T20 cricket," said the skipper.

The match will start at 8pm.

The tickets for the three-match series have already sold out as cricket enthusiasts welcome the return of international cricket to Pakistan’s biggest city.

As many as 8,500 security personnel have been deployed inside and outside the National Stadium to ensure the safety of the players.

As far as teams are concerned, skipper Sarfraz Ahmed confirmed the final 12 for the first T20I in a press conference Saturday evening.

Pakistan Super League 2018 stars Asif Ali and Hussain Talat have both been named in the 12-member team set to face West Indies in the first T20 international at National Stadium.

Ahmed Shehzad, Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam, Shoaib Malik, Asif Ali, Sarfraz Ahmed (captain, wicketkeeper), Hussain Talat, Faheem Ashraf, Mohammad Nawaz, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Amir and Hasan Ali.

On the other hand West Indies have also confirmed their 13-member squad for the match. Jason Mohammed will be the captain of the squad, which includes Samuel Badree, Rayad Emrit, Andre Fletcher, Andre McCarthy, Keemo Paul, Veerasammy Permaul, Rovman Powell, Denesh Ramdin, Marlon Samuels, Odean Smith, Chadwick Walton, Kesrick Williams.

Commenting on the tour, CWI Chief Executive Officer Jonny Grave said: “Following the successful hosting of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) Final in Karachi on the weekend, our squad are now en route to Pakistan for our three-match T20I series.

“This Tour is a further major step for our friends at the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to bring their cricket back home, and we are pleased that our players and support staff have recognised this and supported this venture.”