The Pakistan cricket team has given a first of look of its new T20I kit ahead of the three-match series against England.

        Captain Babar Azam was the first to put on the kit as he took his side opposite England counterpart Eoin Morgan for the unveiling of the series trophy, which will be on the line from tomorrow's opening T20I.

        Traditionally, Pakistan's coloured kits have either been completely dark green or light.

        With the sponsorship deals in limbo, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) decided to feature the logo of former skipper Shahid Afridi's foundation which has been working for the welfare of the poor amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Though the PCB is said to have renewed its deal with its existing sponsor – a popular beverage maker – the pictures of the team's new jersey surfaced on social media recently featuring Afridi's logo too.

         The corona-virus has brought significant financial pressure on sporting bodies all over the globe and the PCB hasn't been unaffected by it either. After the board's existing sponsorship deal with the beverage giant expired, it invited new bidders but was shocked to see no new bids coming in. Even the existing sponsor reportedly submitted a bid at about 35% to 40% lower cost than the previous contract. The contract nevertheless was renewed, although it wasn't revealed at exactly what terms.

Amid this dilemma over sponsorship deal, Afridi announced that the logo of his foundation will feature on PCB kits as they are the charity partners for the board.