The eagerly anticipated 17-member national team for the next T20I home series against New Zealand was revealed by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Tuesday.
Both all-rounder Imad Wasim and pacer Mohammad Amir, who recently decided to come out of retirement, have returned to the team for the series.
Usman Khan and Muhammad Irfan Khan will make their national team debuts in the interim. The selectors decided to include the two exceptionally gifted players after they showed well in the just finished ninth Pakistan Super League season.
Following his restoration as white-ball captain, Babar Azam will captain the squad for the five-match series.
The visiting squad will travel to Pakistan on April 14 and the five-match T20I series is slated to begin on April 18.
Wahab Riaz, a senior team manager and member of the selection committee, spoke during the press conference. He stated that the PCB has announced a squad of 17 players, of which five are kept as reserves. This means that the players will be expected to perform well before the World Cup squad is finalized before April 25.
“By April 25th, we will determine which boys will represent Pakistan in the World Cup.”
Wahab made the following statement on Babar’s reappointment as captain and the absence of a vice-captain for the team: “Babar Azam is the white ball captain.” The vice captain is still the subject of ongoing talks.
Someone needs to support Babar. We’ll investigate anything that can help the team perform better and announce our findings later.
Pacer Haris Rauf’s condition was also updated by Wahab, who stated that while he will “probably be fit for the England series,” he will miss the five Twenty20 Internationals against New Zealand.
According to a press statement from the PCB, the selector stated, “Given their availability for selection and considering Haris Rauf’s injury and Mohammad Nawaz’s current form, the decision to include Imad Wasim and Mohammad Amir was a straightforward one.”
He said, “Amir and Imad are both proven match-winners, and we have faith that they will continue to put in strong performances to support the team’s goals.”
Squad
Babar Azam (c), Abrar Ahmed, Azam Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Amir, Irfan Niazi, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Afridi, Usman Khan, Zaman Khan, Usama Mir
Non-travelling reserves
Haseebullah, Muhammad Ali, Wasim Jr, Sahibzada Farhan, Salman Ali Agha
Pakistan vs New Zealand T20I series schedule
April 14 — New Zealand arrive in Pakistan
April 16-17 — Training/practice
April 18 — 1st T20I, Rawalpindi
April 20 — 2nd T20I, Rawalpindi
April 21 — 3rd T20I, Rawalpindi
April 25 — 4th T20I, Lahore
April 27 — 5th T20I, Lahore
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