The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is gearing up to announce the national squad for the upcoming T20I series against New Zealand, expected to kick off on April 18. Discussions are underway between team captain Babar Azam, selectors, and PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi at Kakul, Abbottabad, where players are undergoing intense training supervised by Pakistan Army personnel.
Earlier, a meeting was convened among the captain, selectors, and PCB Chairman to deliberate on the squad selection. Sources suggest that an 18-member squad will be unveiled for the home series, with New Zealand’s arrival slated for April 14.
However, the team might have to contend without fast bowler Haris Rauf, who is still recovering from a shoulder injury sustained during the recently concluded Pakistan Super League (PSL) 9.
The potential squad includes Babar Azam, Saim Ayub, Muhammad Rizwan, Sahibzada Farhan, Salman Ali Agha, Iftikhar Ahmed, Azam Khan, Shadab Khan, Usama Mir, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah, Imad Waseem, Muhammad Amir, Zaman Khan, Usman Khan, Wasim Jr, Irfan Niazi, and Abbas Afridi. Additionally, Fakhar Zaman’s hand injury is also under assessment.
Moreover, there are discussions surrounding the management of workload for key fast bowlers, indicating that Shaheen Shah Afridi might miss a portion of the New Zealand series in line with the cricket board’s policy.
Stay tuned for the official announcement of the squad in the coming days as preparations intensify for the highly anticipated series against New Zealand.
