India's Cheteshwar Pujara and Pakistan's Mohammad Rizwan on Thursday made their Sussex debut for the game against hosts Derbyshire in the County Championships Division 2 in Sussex.
Shaheen Afridi also missed the last two Tests against England in October.
Pakistan's cricket captain is with his mother in Mecca; Rizwan is with his mother and wife.
Former captain Babar Azam, pacers Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah returned to the Pakistan team for the upcoming white-ball series in Australia.
Unless a player picks up an injury in training, India's team is expected to wear the same look against a Pakistan squad that are without top stars Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan, lending it a look of youth and experience.
The tournament is scheduled to be held in Pakistan, and Rizwan expressed confidence in the enthusiastic reception the Indian team would receive from Pakistani fans.
'India is a strong team. Pakistan is inconsistent.'
Pakistan's T20 captain, Salman Ali Agha, remains optimistic despite his team's 1-4 series loss to New Zealand, believing the new faces tried out in the matches will eventually come through.
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The seasoned Kiwi coach came under criticism from several former players such as Rashid Latif, Basit Ali, Mohsin Khan, Moin Khan, and Sikander Bakht when media reported said he had asked Babar to keep wickets in the shortest format.
None of New Zealand's batters were able to build on their starts
It was the highest run chase in men's T20 cricket without losing a wicket.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is set to investigate a case involving a UK-based Pakistani agent, Mughiz Ahmad Shearachiikh, who has been suspended by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) for breaching its anti-corruption code. Shearachiikh and his company, International Cricketers Association (ICA), had signed several centrally contracted Pakistani players last year.
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He contrasts that with Pakistan's past batting line-ups.
'I am not against technology in the game. But if it brings doubt and confusion, it is not acceptable. Some decisions were not understandable. The ball hitting the stumps is always out. I will never understand why there is an umpire's call.'
Pakistan wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan and England's Tammy Beaumont were on Sunday named the ICC men's and women's T20 Player of the Year, respectively, following a prolific 2021.
Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi and Mohammad Rizwan have been denied permission by the PCB to play in the Global T20 in Canada.
Shami bled 43 runs in his spell of 3.5 overs in the match and was later targetted by online abusers blaming him alone for India's loss.
The Instagram accounts of leading current and former Pakistani cricketers were blocked in India on Friday.
Pakistan showcased resilience with Rizwan contributing a powerful 88 runs
Pakistan head coach Mike Hesson said Babar Azam has been asked to improve certain aspects of his game.
'As players, you need to stay calm, try and block that noise out, and just play with the same intensity as you would play Australia or any other team.'
The Pakistan cricket team left for Dubai for the marquee Champions Trophy clash against arch-rivals India without opener Fakhar Zaman, who suffered an injury during the opening match against New Zealand in Karachi on February 19. The left-handed batter has been replaced by Imam-ul-Haq in Pakistan's squad.
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Virat Kohli may have stepped away from Test cricket, but he leaves behind a faster, leaner, hungrier Indian team.
Babar Azam announced that he will be stepping down as the white-ball captain of the Pakistan cricket team, wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan is likely to take his place
Pakistan's Olympics gold-winning javelin thrower Arshad Nadeem's Instagram account has been blocked in India owing to a "legal request" in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack.
Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan are the first opening pair in the history of T20 cricket to chase 200 or more twice.
Pakistan were all out for 260 in 47.2 overs with Babar Azam (64) and Khushdil Shah (69) scoring half-centuries but the hosts never looked in the hunt.
The Pakistan cricket team was fined five percent of their match fee for maintaining a slow over-rate during their Champions Trophy opener against New Zealand in Karachi.
Even though IPL is widely regarded as the top T20 tournament worldwide, Hasan is optimistic that despite the scheduling clash, viewers will prefer to watch PSL if the players up the ante and perform better.
Rizwan was shifted to a hospital soon after Pakistan's last-over win.
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Former cricketer Basit Ali disclosed that Gary Kirsten was displeased with Mohammad Rizwan's appointment as Pakistan's white-ball captain
It has been a forgettable campaign for Pakistan in the first global tournament to be staged in the country since 1996.
Fast bowler Khurram Shahzad and Mohammad Abbas have been named in Pakistan's team for the first Test starting on Thursday in Centurion - the first red-ball assignment for newly-appointed interim coach Aqib Javed.
Pakistan and Bangladesh will face off in a dead rubber match in the Champions Trophy on Thursday, both teams looking to salvage some pride after disappointing tournament performances. Both teams have suffered heavy defeats to New Zealand.
Pakistan's white-ball captain Mohammad Rizwan is confident of winning the upcoming T20 international series in Australia and is also eyeing a whitewash of the home team.
Social media was quick to react, urging the former captain to 'focus on his batting' rather than engaging in photo sessions.
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