Pakistan Squad Announced for New Zealand Tour: Babar Azam and…

Pakistan has announced its cricket squads for the New Zealand tour, with Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan excluded from the T20 team. Salman Ali Agha will captain the T20 side, while Rizwan continues as ODI captain. The team features three uncapped players and aims to prepare for future tournaments. The tour runs from March 16 to April 5, 2025, with a structure of T20Is followed by ODIs.

Pakistan’s cricket team has announced its squads for the upcoming tour of New Zealand, excluding Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan from the T20I lineup. Head Coach Aqib Javed disclosed the changes in a press conference held at Gaddafi Stadium, highlighting that Rizwan will no longer lead the T20 team.

Salman Ali Agha has been appointed as the captain for the T20I series, with Shadab Khan serving as the vice-captain. This five-match T20I series is scheduled from March 16 to March 26. Meanwhile, Rizwan remains the ODI captain, with Agha assisting him for the three 50-over matches set for March 29 to April 5.

The changes aim to prepare for future tournaments, specifically the ACC Men’s T20 Asia Cup 2025 and ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026. Agha previously led Pakistan to victory in a T20I series against Zimbabwe and has demonstrated leadership potential during that campaign.

The squad will include three uncapped players, namely Abdul Samad, Hasan Nawaz, and Mohammad Ali. Their selections stem from commendable performances in previous domestic leagues, including the Champions One-Day and T20 Cups. Samad and Nawaz respectively excelled as top scorers, while Ali emerged as the leading wicket-taker in the T20 format.

Noteworthy absentees from both formats include openers Fakhar Zaman and Saim Ayub. Fakhar is recovering from a muscle injury, and Saim is healing after an ankle fracture, but both are expected to return for the HBL Pakistan Super League 10 commencing on April 11, 2025.

Aqib Javed will continue as the interim head coach for the tour as his term extends to facilitate the search for a permanent coach. Additionally, Mohammad Yousuf was appointed as the batting coach to aid in the team’s preparation.

The T20I squad is as follows: Salman Ali Agha (captain), Shadab Khan (vice-captain), Abdul Samad, Abrar Ahmed, Haris Rauf, Hasan Nawaz, Jahandad Khan, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Haris, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Omair Bin Yousaf, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufyan Moqim, and Usman Khan.

For the ODI series, the squad includes: Mohammad Rizwan (captain), Salman Ali Agha (vice-captain), Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Akif Javed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Imam-ul-Haq, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Sufyan Moqim, and Tayyab Tahir, with an additional wicketkeeper/batter to be appointed after the T20Is.

The tour schedule is as follows: March 16 – 1st T20I at Hagley Oval, Christchurch; March 18 – 2nd T20I at University Oval, Dunedin; March 21 – 3rd T20I at Eden Park, Auckland; March 23 – 4th T20I at Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui; March 26 – 5th T20I at Sky Stadium, Wellington; March 29 – 1st ODI at McLean Park, Napier; April 2 – 2nd ODI at Seddon Park, Hamilton; and April 5 – 3rd ODI at Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui.

In conclusion, the Pakistan cricket team has made significant changes to its T20I squad ahead of the upcoming New Zealand tour, with Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan being notable omissions. The new leadership under Salman Ali Agha aims to build a competitive squad for upcoming international tournaments. With a blend of experience and emerging talent, Pakistan seeks to perform admirably in both T20 and ODI formats during this tour.

Original Source: dunyanews.tv