Mohammad Hafeez pulls out of Bangladesh tour, Iftikhar Ahmed likely to replace

Pakistan will travel to Bangladesh for three T20Is and two Tests in November 2021.

Published - 08 Nov 2021, 16:27 IST | Updated - 08 Nov 2021, 16:27 IST

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Pakistan all-rounder Mohammad Hafeez has opted out of the team’s upcoming tour against Bangladesh in a bid to vacate a spot for a youngster. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is yet to name a replacement, however, Iftikhar Ahmed is highly likely to be included.

The two teams will play three T20Is at Dhaka’s Shere Bangla National Stadium from November 19 to 22, followed by two Tests in Chattogram (November 26 to 30) and Dhaka (December 4 to 8). Pakistan will return from Bangladesh to host West Indies to three T20Is and as many T20Is between December 13 to 22, with all the fixtures taking place at the National Stadium in Karachi.

Pakistan will be travelling to Bangladesh straight after the 2016 Asia Cup, while the last they played a bilateral event in the country was in 2015, when they won the two-Test series 1-0, after losing the ODIs 3-0 and the one-off T20I.

Both the teams are currently in the United Arab Emirates for the ongoing T20 World Cup, and had contrasting campaigns, with Pakistan winning all five Super12 encounters, while Bangladesh lost all five.

Pakistan, who topped the second group with 10 points, will face Australia on November 11 in the second semi-final, a day after England and New Zealand see each other in the first. The winners will meet on November 14 in the titular clash.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh, who had to play the qualifiers ahead of the Super12 this year, have qualified for the main draw of the 2022 event, scheduled in Australia in October next year, by the virtue of being one of the top eight teams in the ICC T20I team rankings on the cut off date.

England, Pakistan, India, New Zealand, South Africa and Australia are other teams to have qualified, while Sri Lanka and West Indies will have to play the qualifying round alongside Scotland, Namibia – two teams who advanced to the Super12s this year – and the four qualifiers.