Babar Azam to captain, Mohammad Amir returns as Pakistan name squad for New Zealand T20Is

Mohammad Amir reversed his retirement decision to make himself available for the T20 World Cup 2024.

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced 17-man squad for the upcoming five-match T20I series against New Zealand on April 9. The first match of the series will be played on April 18 at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium and conclude on April 27 at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.

Earlier, Pakistan’s ace pacers Mohammad Amir and all-rounder Imad Wasim reversed their retirement to make themselves available for selection for the upcoming ICC T20I World Cup 2024, which will be played in June 2024. However, both of the veteran cricketers have been now included in the squad for five-match T20I series against the Black Caps.

“Also named in the squad are all-rounder Imad Wasim and fast bowler Mohammad Amir. The two experienced campaigners had become available after coming out of retirement last month,” the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said in a statement on Tuesday.

Wahab Riaz opens up on Mohammad Amir and Imad Wasim’s selection for the NZ T20I series

The newly appointed senior team manager, Wahab Riaz, revealed that the decision to include Amir and Wasim was a straightforward one for the PCB. Wahab said that Haris Rauf is injured and left-arm spinner Mohammad Nawaz is not in good form, so they picked both the senior Pakistan cricketers.

“The decision to include Imad Wasim and Mohammad Amir was a straightforward one, given their availability for selection and considering Haris Rauf’s injury and Mohammad Nawaz’s current form,” Wahab Riaz said on return of Amir and Imad in a statement by PCB

Riaz further added that both Amir and Imad are very important members of the Pakistan line-up as they prepare for the 2024 T20I World Cup. The senior team manager further stated that they didn’t want to look at just the New Zealand series. They wanted to focus and identify areas for improvement so that the Pakistan cricket team could strengthen their weaknesses ahead of the marquee event.

“Both Amir and Imad possess undeniable match-winning capabilities, and we trust they will consistently deliver strong performances to bolster the team’s objectives. As we prepare for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 in the USA and West Indies, this series holds significant importance for Pakistan. Rather than solely focusing on the formidable New Zealand side, we aim to introspect and identify areas for improvement. I anticipate that players will seize the opportunities presented to strengthen their claims for the World Cup,” he added.

First series for Babar Azam as white-ball captain after PCB sack Shaheen Shah Afridi

This will also be the first series for the veteran batter Babar Azam, who took the leadership role of Pakistan’s white-ball teams after PCB sacked Shaheen Shah Afridi after just one series. The left-arm pacer Shaheen also has been named in the squad for upcoming home T20I series.

In a major boost Naseem Shah also returned to the Men in Green squad for the first time since September 2023. Naseem missed several months of action with a long-term injury. New Zealand will arrive in Pakistan on 14 April for the five-match T20I series in Rawalpindi and Lahore from April 18 to 27.

Pakistan’s squad for the five-match T20I series against New Zealand

Babar Azam (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Azam Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohmmad Amir, Muhammad Irfan Niazi, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usama Mir, Usman Khan, Zaman Khan

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