Pakistan Announces Squads for ODI and T20I Series Against New Zealand

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced the squads for the upcoming one-day international (ODI) and T20 international (T20I) series against New Zealand. The series will be held in Lahore, Rawalpindi, and Karachi from April 14 to May 7.

Shaheen Shah Afridi will return to international cricket after a four-month gap, as he was named in the Pakistan squads for the series against New Zealand. The 22-year-old fast bowler had missed five Tests and three ODIs against England and New Zealand due to a knee injury he had sustained during the first Test against Sri Lanka in Galle in July 2022. He had subsequently missed the second Test against Sri Lanka, ODI series against the Netherlands, ACC Asia Cup in the UAE, and the seven-match T20I series in Pakistan.

Shaheen Shah Afridi had a remarkable comeback in the Pakistan Super League 8, where he inspired Lahore Qalandars to become the first side to successfully defend the title. Not only that, his own performance was outstanding both with the bat and the ball. He scored 133 runs at a strike rate of 168.35 and grabbed 19 wickets at an economy rate of 9.13.

Apart from Shaheen, Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, and Mohammad Rizwan are also returning to both the squads after resting for last month’s three-T20I series against Afghanistan in Sharjah. This means Babar Azam will resume his normal services as captain in the ODI and T20I series against New Zealand, while Shadab Khan will return to his original position as vice-captain.

Three young guns – Ihsanullah, Saim Ayub, and Zaman Khan – have been retained in the T20I squad following their stellar performances in Sharjah, while Ihsanullah has also been added to the ODI squad for the first time in his career.

The Pakistan squad will assemble in Lahore on April 6, where the training camp will commence on April 7.

Pakistan T20 and ODI Squad:

T20 Schedule For Pakistan Vs New Zealand:

Pakistan vs New Zealand ODI Schedule: