Pakistan earlier this month announced the 17-member squad for the five-match T20I series in New Zealand. While talking about the team, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) selection committee consultant Kamran Akmal said that Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan have been included as the senior players could not be rested for a tour like that of New Zealand. Meanwhile, Shadab Khan, who disappointed with just two wickets and 121 runs from six World Cup (50 overs) matches in November before injuring an ankle in domestic competition, was left out.
“No one from team management or selection committee talked about giving rest to Babar and Rizwan during New Zealand series,” Akmal told a local TV channel as quoted by Cricket Pakistan.
“Pakistan is going to New Zealand, not Nepal, where senior players can be rested. No one can think like that,” he added.
Fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi will skipper the side after Babar stepped down as captain in all three formats following Pakistan’s exit from the 50-over World Cup.
The five-match New Zealand series will be played on January 12 (Auckland), January 14 (Hamilton), January 17 (Dunedin) and January 19 and 21 (Christchurch).
The squad includes wicketkeeper-batter Haseebullah Khan, fast bowler Abbas Afridi, and spinners Abrar Ahmed and Usama Mir, who have not played T20Is before.
Sahibzada Farhan, who played three T20 internationals in 2018, earns a recall after being the top scorer in the last three editions of the national T20 competition.
Also recalled is Azam Khan, who flopped in the five T20 internationals he has played in the last two years but has again played well at the domestic level.
Squad: Shaheen Shah Afridi (captain), Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, Fakhar Zaman, Iftikhar Ahmed, Haseebullah Khan, Azam Khan, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Aamer Jamal, Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Nawaz, Abrar Ahmed, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Wasim, Usama Mir, Zaman Khan
(With AFP Inputs)
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