Wahab Riaz, Pakistan’s chief selector, has unveiled a 17-member squad for the upcoming five-match T20I series against New Zealand, starting on January 12 in Auckland. During a press conference in Lahore, Riaz mentioned that Mohammad Haris is being rested for the series, underlining the management’s awareness of his abilities and future plans.
Explaining the decision, Wahab stated, “We know his capability, and he is part of our plans going forward. There were some domestic performers in First Class cricket who we wanted to give a chance and increase our pool of players, so we rested Haris from this tour.”
Regarding Shadab Khan, Riaz highlighted his importance in Pakistan’s T20 cricket but mentioned that Khan sustained an ankle injury during the National T20, requiring an additional two weeks of rehabilitation. He expressed optimism that after the rehab period, Shadab Khan will be available for bowling.
Wahab addressed the selection process for the middle order, emphasizing the need to develop players for positions 4 to 7. He pointed out Haseebullah’s impactful performances in the PSL and white-ball cricket, stating, “Now we’re in a building phase to see which players can fit into these positions.”
The Pakistan squad for the upcoming T20I series against New Zealand includes players such as Shaheen Afridi (captain), Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, Fakhar Zaman, Saim Ayub, Sahibzada Farhan, Haseebullah Khan, Iftikhar Ahmed, Azam Khan, Aamer Jamal, Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Mohammad Nawaz, Abrar Ahmed, Usama Mir, Haris Rauf, and Zaman Khan. The series is scheduled to begin on January 12.
