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Salman appointed T20I captain; Babar, Rizwan dropped from T20I squad for New Zealand tour

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Digital Desk

1 year ago

LAHORE: Pakistan have brought major changes to T20I and ODI squads for the upcoming New Zealand tour following the Green Shirt’s humiliating exit from a home Champions Trophy.

The cricket board has dropped captain Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam from the T20I squad, tapping Salman Ali Agha to lead the side in the shorter form.

To assist Agha, the selection committee has named Shadab Khan for the vice-captain role for the five-match T20I series against New Zealand from March 16-26.

However, Mohammad Rizwan will continue as ODI captain, with Salman serving as his deputy for the three 50-over matches scheduled from March 29 to April 5.

Furthermore, Pakistan’s premium pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi has been left out of the 50-over format.

The tour will run from March 16 to April 5, with the T20I series set for March 16-26 and the ODI series scheduled from March 29 to April 5.

Apart from that, Aqib Javed will continue as interim head coach for the New Zealand tour, while Mohammad Yousuf has been appointed as batting coach.

“His original term was until the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, but he has been asked to extend his tenure while the search for a permanent head coach begins,” he said.

The selection committee has inducted three uncapped players – Abdul Samad, Hasan Nawaz and Mohammad Ali – while Akif Javed and Mohammad Ali were included in the T20I squad.

Pakistan squads for New Zealand tour

T20I squad – 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

ODI squad – 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. A wicketkeeper/batter will be added to the ODI squad following the T20Is