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Pakistan announce squads for ODI, T20I series against New Zealand

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The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Tuesday announced the squads for the one-day international (ODI) and T20 international (T20I) series against New Zealand.

Shaheen Shah Afridi is all set to return to international cricket after four months when he was named in the Pakistan squads for the series against New Zealand, which will be played in Lahore, Rawalpindi and Karachi from April 14 to May 7.

Shaheen had missed five Tests and three ODIs against England and New Zealand post the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022 as he was completing his rehabilitation following a knee injury he had sustained during the first Test against Sri Lanka in Galle in July.

He had subsequently missed the second Test against Sri Lanka, ODI series against the Netherlands, ACC Asia Cup in the UAE and seven-match T20I series in Pakistan.

The 22-year-old, who has taken 99 Test, 62 ODI and 58 T20I wickets, staged a remarkable comeback in the Pakistan Super League 8 when he inspired Lahore Qalandars to become the first side to successfully defend the title.

Not only that, Shaheen’s own performance was outstanding both with the bat and the ball — he scored 133 runs at a strike-rate of 168.35 and grabbed 19 wickets at an economy-rate of 9.13. He was rightly named captain of Team of HBL PSL 8.

Apart from Shaheen, also returning to both the squads are Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf and Mohammad Rizwan. All these players had rested for last month’s three-T20I series against Afghanistan in Sharjah.

This means Babar Azam will resume his normal services as captain in the ODI and T20I series against New Zealand, while Shadab will return to his original position as vice-captain.

Three young guns — Ihsanullah, Saim Ayub and Zaman Khan — have been retained in the T20I squad following stellar performances in Sharjah, while Ihsanullah has also been added to the ODI squad for the first time in his career.

The squad will assemble in Lahore on 6 April where the training camp will commence on 7 April.

Squads

T20I: Babar Azam (captain), Shadab Khan (vice-captain), Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Iftikhar Ahmed, Ihsanullah, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Haris, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shan Masood and Zaman Khan

ODI: Babar Azam (captain), Shadab Khan (vice-captain), Abdullah Shafique, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Haris Sohail, Ihsanullah, Imam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Naseem Shah, Salman Ali Agha, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shan Masood and Usama Mir. Reserves: Abbas Afridi, Abrar Ahmed and Tayyab Tahir

Series schedule (T20Is to start at 9pm; ODIs to begin at 3.30pm):

14 Apr – 1st T20I, Lahore

15 Apr – 2nd T20I, Lahore

17 Apr – 3rd T20I, Lahore

20 Apr – 4th T20I, Rawalpindi

24 Apr – 5th T20I, Rawalpindi

27 Apr – 1st ODI, Rawalpindi

29 Apr – 2nd ODI, Rawalpindi

3 May – 3rd ODI, Karachi

5 May – 4th ODI, Karachi

7 May – 5th ODI, Karachi

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Pakistan

Sources claim that Babar was reappointed as the cricket team’s captain.

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Reappointing Babar Azam to lead the national squad upon the call of the newly-formed selection committee was decided by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Friday.

Sources claim that Babar will captain the Green Shirts in the upcoming five-match Twenty20 series against New Zealand, which kicks off on April 20.

After the team’s crushing defeat in the ICC World Cup 2023, Shaheen Shah Afridi was chosen as the white-ball captain, while Shan Masood was named the red-ball captain by the previous PCB administration.

The sources claimed that Babar’s appointment as captain was suggested by the selection committee. They said he will go to the Kakul training camp as captain.

Shaheen had chosen to step down, but his close friends urged him against it and to wait for the PCB’s decision, according to individuals close to him.

After guiding the team for four years, Babar resigned as captain of the national team in all formats in November of last year. After Pakistan’s poor performance in both the Asia Cup and the World Cup, where they were unable to advance to the semi-finals, he faced criticism for several months.

Although Babar was named Test and white-ball captain in 2020 and 2019, respectively, the side has neither won an Asia Cup nor an ICC championship while he has been captain.

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It looks like Pakistan will choose Babar Azam as captain once more!

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Due to Pakistan’s appalling performance in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023, the right-handed hitter resigned as captain of the team in all formats of the game. The team lost five of its nine group-stage games, preventing them from making it to the semifinals.

Sources claim that Babar Azam has been contacted by representatives of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), and a meeting with him is scheduled prior to his departure for Abbottabad, where he will join his teammates for a fitness camp at the military academy Kakul.

It is important to note that during a meeting with Zaka Ashraf, the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), the prolific batter announced his resignation.

The governing body said that Shaheen Afridi will captain the squad in the Twenty20 internationals after he tendered his resignation.

The talented player, who was named the T20I team’s captain in November, has only served as skipper for one series—five games in New Zealand—during which Pakistan lost 4-1.

His series defeat by New Zealand was followed by a terrible PSL season for the Lahore Qalandars, who managed only one victory in ten games.

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Pakistan

Australia releases the schedule for the White Ball Series versus Pakistan.

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In the summer of 2024–2025, the Pakistan Cricket Team will travel to Australia for a white-ball series. Six games in all, three ODIs and as many T20Is, will be played in the series between November 4, 2024, and November 18, 2024, at six different venues.

The Melbourne Cricket Ground will host the start of the three-match Dettol Men’s ODI series on November 4th, according to the itinerary that was made public. Next up are matches between Australia and Pakistan in Perth on November 10 and Adelaide on November 8, respectively.

Australia and Pakistan will play three matches in the Dettol Men’s T20I Series after November 14. In 2022, Pakistan played their final Twenty20 International match on Australian soil when the men in green competed in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup final.

Cricket Australia releases the schedule for the Pakistan white ball series.

The Gabba in Brisbane will serve as the series’ launchpad. The action will next shift to Sydney Cricket Ground, where Pakistan defeated New Zealand in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup semi-final in their most recent Twenty20 International there. The tour’s last destination is Hobart, where the final Twenty20 International match is scheduled for November 18.

Complete itinerary: ODI Series

November 4: Melbourne’s MCG
November 8 at Adelaide’s Oval
Perth Stadium, Perth T20I Series, November 10

November 14: Brisbane’s The Gabba
November 16: Sydney’s SCG
18 November: Hobart’s Bellerive Oval
The last time Pakistan and Australia played an ODI series there was in 2016, and the host team won.

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