Pakistan Shaheens set to take on England Lions in 50-over series opener

2026-02-27 - 06:24

Pakistan Shaheens are set to lock horns with England Lions in the five-match 50-over series opener in Abu Dhabi on Friday (today). Before this series, both sides featured in a three-match T20 series, which was won by the Lions 3-0. England captain Jordon Cox led from the front by scoring 111 runs from three outings, while left-arm spinner James Coles claimed eight wickets in the series. Despite the Shaheens going down in the series, 21-year-old left-handed batter Maaz Sadaqat scored 102 runs from three matches, which included one half-century. Captain Shamyl Hussain also struck a half-century in the series. In the bowling department, right-arm leg-spinner Saad Masood picked five wickets, while right-arm fast bowler Shahid Aziz bagged three wickets from two matches. Saad and Shahid also contributed with the bat, especially in the third T20, scoring unbeaten 29 and 30 runs, respectively and knitted an unbroken 59-run partnership for the seventh wicket. The series will be broadcast on Ten Sports in Pakistan, while it will be live-streamed on Myco across the country. The matches will be available to viewers in the UK on PCB’s OTT platform. In Bangladesh, the series will be broadcast live on T Sports and will also be available on Myco via streaming, while Myco will broadcast the action in the MENA region. Fans can also catch the action live on the Sports Central YouTube channel. Ijaz Ahmed Jnr said: “Transitioning from T20 cricket to the 50-over format is never easy for any player, as it is a completely different challenge. To address this, we have set small, clear goals for the players, breaking the game into achievable phases. “Reflecting on the T20 series, we were unable to execute our plans effectively in both batting and bowling. In batting, particularly during the middle overs, we failed to build partnerships. I believe we were short by 25 to 30 runs, as partnerships during the 7th to 15th overs were crucial and did not materialise. Shaheens squad: Shamyl Hussain (captain), Abdul Samad, Arafat Minhas, Ahmed Daniyal, Akif Javed, Hasan Nawaz, Maaz Sadaqat, Mohammad Salman, Muhammad Amir Khan, Rohail Nazir (wk), Saad Baig (wk), Saad Khan, Saad Masood, Sameer Minhas, Shahid Aziz and Sufyan Moqim. Player support personnel: Sarfaraz Ahmed (mentor & team manager), Ijaz Ahmed Jnr (head coach), Mansoor Amjad (fielding coach), Aizaz Cheema (bowling coach), Imranullah (trainer), Mohammad Tahir (physiotherapist) and Usman Hashmi (performance analyst) Pakistan register highest ever Women’s ODI total in losing cause