Shaheens ready to take on England Lions in T20 series opener

2026-02-19 - 16:03

Pakistan Shaheens will take on England Lions in the T20 series opener on Friday, February 20, at the Stadium Oval in Abu Dhabi. The second T20 will be played on February 22, while the third T20 will take place on February 24. The three-match T20 series will be followed by a five-match 50-over series, which will be played at the same venue from February 27 to March 9. All eight white-ball matches will be played at the Stadium Oval in Abu Dhabi, with the first ball of the first and second T20s scheduled to be bowled at 2 pm local time. The first ball of the third T20 will be bowled at 7.30 pm local time. The five-match 50-over series will feature day matches, with only the fourth 50-over match to be played under lights. The toss for the fourth match will take place at 2.30 pm, with the first ball to be bowled at 3 pm local time. The remaining 50-over matches will begin at 10 am local time, with the toss scheduled for 9.30 am. 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. Shaheens underwent a six-day pre-series camp in Karachi before arriving in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday afternoon. The players took part in training sessions and played practice matches to gear up for the series. Pakistan Shaheens, under the coaching staff led by Ijaz Ahmed Jnr, also took part in a training session at the Stadium Oval in Abu Dhabi on Thursday afternoon. Shamyl Hussain said: “We aim to play positive and competitive cricket, while continuing to improve as individuals. This series is very important for us in that regard. The coaches have clearly defined our roles, and everyone in the squad is fully aware of what is expected of them. “England Lions are a strong side, but we are confident in our own abilities. We have a versatile squad with quality batters, bowlers and spinners and all departments are well covered.” Pakistan 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) Schedule: 1st T20 – 20 February 2nd T20 – 22 February 3rd T20 – 24 February 1st 50-over – 27 February 2nd 50-0ver – 1 March 3rd 50-over – 4 March 4th 50-over – 6 March 5th 50-over – 9 March Hyderabad Kingsmen sign Australia’s Glenn Maxwell for PSL 11