On Sunday in Lahore, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi told journalists that the Green Shirts’ team for the home series against New Zealand will be unveiled on April 9 instead of April 8. The Black Caps will play the national team in five T20I matches starting on April 18. Three will be played in Rawalpindi and two in Lahore. The series will end on April 27.
Who will play in NZ series for Pakistan?
The T20I team will report in Islamabad on April 14, and sources suggest the selectors will unveil the 18-man roster in a press conference. After talks with the PCB, Imad Wasim and Mohammed Amir withdrew their retirements and are expected to play for the national team, according to reports. Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, Shadab Khan, Iftikhar Ahmed, Azam Khan, Shaheen Afridi, Zaman Khan, Agha Salman, Sahibzada Farhan, Fakhar Zaman, Abbas Afridi can also make the team.
The reports added that Usama Mir or Abrar Ahmed will play spinner for Men in Green. Due to injury, Haris Rauf is unlikely to play for the national team. The PCB head stated that UAE’s Usman Khan, who excelled in the Pakistan Super League’s ninth edition (PSL 9), will join the squad. The board is expected to identify club management executives in the following few days and the assistant coach after April 20, according to sources.
The PCB chairman said the foreign head coaches would be announced after April 15. The national team’s “busy” season includes series against Ireland, England, T20I World Cup, Bangladesh, England, Australia, and South Africa. “The availability of foreign coaches for the series against New Zealand depends on their contract with them,” Naqvi said. Pakistan holds a tri-party series before the Champions Trophy. He noted that the Champions Trophy and tri-party series will be played in Pakistan.
