Pakistan’s New T20 Captain; No Place for Babar-Rizwan

Pakistan has announced their squad for the upcoming five-match T20I series against New Zealand, with a new captain leading the side. Salman Ali Agha has been named the T20I captain, while Shadab Khan has been appointed as his deputy. The series will take place from March 16 to March 26.

In ODIs, Mohammad Rizwan will continue as the captain, with Salman Ali Agha serving as his vice-captain. The three-match ODI series is scheduled from March 29 to April 5.

Salman’s appointment as T20I captain is part of Pakistan’s long-term strategy to build the team for the 2025 Asia Cup and 2026 T20 World Cup. He previously led Pakistan to a 2-1 series victory against Zimbabwe last year.

Injuries and Squad Changes

Fakhar Zaman and Saim Ayub have been ruled out due to injuries. Fakhar suffered a rib injury during the Champions Trophy match against New Zealand, while Saim sustained an ankle injury during a Test match against South Africa in January. However, both are expected to be fit for the PSL.

Meanwhile, Aqib Javed has been appointed as the interim head coach, and Mohammad Yousuf will join as the batting coach.

Pakistan 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, Mohammad Irfan Khan, Omair Bin Yousuf, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufiyan Muqeem, Usman Khan

Pakistan ODI Squad:

Mohammad Rizwan (Captain), Salman Ali Agha (Vice-Captain), Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Aqib Javed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Imam-ul-Haq, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Wasim Jr., Mohammad Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Sufiyan Muqeem, Tayyab Tahir
A wicketkeeper-batter will be added to the ODI squad after the T20I series.

New Zealand Tour Schedule

T20I Series:

March 16 – 1st T20I, Hagley Oval, Christchurch
March 18 – 2nd T20I, University Oval, Dunedin
March 21 – 3rd T20I, Eden Park, Auckland
March 23 – 4th T20I, Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui
March 26 – 5th T20I, Sky Stadium, Wellington

ODI Series:

March 29 – 1st ODI, McLean Park, Napier
April 2 – 2nd ODI, Seddon Park, Hamilton
April 5 – 3rd ODI, Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui