Pakistan Cricket Board’s National Selection Committee has announced the 17-member Pakistan squad for the five-match T20I series once morest New Zealand.
Two new players Usman Khan and Irfan Khan have been included in the Pakistan team for the first time.
The National Selection Committee has also announced the names of the 17-member team under the leadership of Babar Azam and five reserve players at the Gaddafi Stadium Lahore on Tuesday. The announcement was made by the selector Wahab Riaz.
With the advice of the captain Babar Azam, the selection of the players once morest the series has been carried out who can possibly be a part of the World Cup team.
Domestic cricket performers have been ignored in the team selection and PSL performances have been taken as the basis, which is believed to have disenfranchised many deserving players. Usman Khan does not play domestic cricket but he got selected.
Fakhar Zaman’s inclusion is also a question as he might not show any special performance in PSL. Answering a question on Azam Khan’s fitness, data analyst Bilal Afzal might not be satisfied either.
Responding to the objection of holding dual positions, Wahab Riaz says that it is not a new thing and it happens often. But he might not tell the reason for its necessity.
Wahab Riaz termed Rameez Raja’s words regarding Mohammad Amir as harsh and inappropriate and termed Amir as a need for the team.
On the question of making Babar the captain once more and removing Shaheen, Wahab Riaz cited workload as the reason. “The reason for Shaheen’s removal is to remove unnecessary burden on him while Babar is an experienced captain.”
The coaching staff also changed
Former Test cricketer Azhar Mehmood has been appointed as the head coach for the tour of New Zealand. Azhar Mehmood was earlier bowling coach of Pakistan team in 2019 World Cup as well but he was removed following worst performance in World Cup.
Mohammad Yusuf, a member of the selection committee, has been appointed as the batting coach and Saeed Ajmal as the spin bowling coach. Another selector Wahab Riaz has been made senior manager. The dual responsibilities of these two selectors have defied the PCB chairman’s announcement that no one will be given dual responsibilities.
Mansoor Rana has once once more joined the management as a junior manager. He has been the team manager for the past several years and will now work under the leadership of junior player Wahab Riaz himself.
Wahab Riaz who has become an approved eye of Muqtadra in a short period of time. A new and unique position has been created for them. The tradition of senior manager is not in any other country of the world and was not in Pakistan in the past but in the form of an imposing role, Wahab Riaz will keep his control over the team and also interfere in the playing XI.
Due to this role of Wahab Riaz, there is no need or reason for a team manager, but Mansoor Rana, who has benefited from the era, will probably handle the travel documents of the players.
Muhammad Yusuf has become the batting coach under whose excellent coaching the Pakistan U-19 team failed miserably.
The five-match T20 series between Pakistan and New Zealand will be played from April 18 to 27 in Rawalpindi and Lahore.
This series is part of Pakistan cricket team’s preparations for the ICCT Twenty World Cup to be held in America and West Indies.
After this series, Pakistan cricket team will play a series of T20 International matches in the tour of England and Ireland.
The National Selection Committee had informed the players regarding the rotation policy while meeting them in the past few days, the aim of which is to give opportunities to as many players as possible to build a strong team.
28-year-old Usman Khan, who joined the Pakistan team for the first time, has previously played in the United Arab Emirates. He has been giving excellent performances in the Pakistan Super League for the past two years.
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Last year, he scored the fastest century in PSL history once morest Quetta Gladiators for Multan Sultans in just 36 balls. This year also he scored 430 runs in PSL with the help of two centuries and two half-centuries.
Usman Khan, who recently came to Pakistan from the United Arab Emirates, was banned for five years by the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB). The ban covers all ECB events during that period, meaning he cannot play in the ILT20, Abu Dhabi T10, or any other ECB-affiliated competition held in the UAE until 2029.
An ECB statement said the decision was taken following Usman ‘breached his obligations to the Emirates Cricket Board.’
Twenty-one-year-old Irfan Khan’s inclusion in the team has come regarding on the basis of excellent performance in domestic cricket and the Pakistan Super League. He was adjudged the best fielder of the tournament and the best emerging cricketer while playing for Karachi Kings in the PSL this year, while he scored 455 runs in six innings while playing for State Bank in the President’s Trophy.
He has also scored a century in first-class cricket while he has scored a half-century in T20 matches.
Irfan Khan has also represented Pakistan in the Under-19 World Cup in 2020 and 2022.
Fast bowler Muhammad Amir, who left the Pakistan team four years ago, has once once more become a part of the Pakistani team, while ‘Angry Man’ Imad Wasim has also returned. However, according to the sources, the tension between Imad Wasim and Babar Azam is still there and during the Kakul camp, both were seen as cold.
Mohammad Amir has also returned following being away from the team for four years. His recent PSL has not had any remarkable performances. But the chief selector might not tell the reasons for bringing him back to the team.
Mohammad Amir and Imad Wasim announced themselves to be available for the Pakistan cricket team following ending their retirement.
Imad Wasim last represented Pakistan last year once morest New Zealand in the T20 International in Rawalpindi.
He performed well for Islamabad United in the recent Pakistan Super League, scoring an unbeaten half-century once morest Peshawar Zalmi and taking five wickets in the final once morest Multan Sultans.
Imad Wasim has scored 486 runs in 66 T20 Internationals and has taken 65 wickets.
Mohammad Amir last played a T20I for Pakistan once morest England at Old Trafford in 2020.
Mohammad Amir has taken 59 wickets in 50 T20 Internationals.
Pakistan Cricket Team: Babar Azam (captain), Saeem Ayub, Mohammad Rizwan, Usman Khan, Iftikhar Ahmed, Azam Khan, Irfan Khan Niazi, Shadab Khan, Imad Wasim, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah, Zaman Khan, Mohammad Amir, Abbas Afridi, Usama Mir, Fakhr Zaman and Abrar Ahmed.
The reserve players of the team include Haseebullah, Muhammad Ali, Sahibzada Farhan, Agha Salman and Wasim Junior.
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2024-07-03 19:22:45
