March 4th 2025.
In a surprising turn of events, it was announced that Captain Muhammad Rizwan and Babar Azam would not be joining the Pakistan squad for their upcoming five-match T20 series in New Zealand. Instead, Salman Ali Agha has been appointed as the new captain, with Shadab Khan returning to the squad as his vice-captain.
Despite their disappointing performance in the Champions Trophy, Rizwan has been retained as the captain of the ODI squad. The selectors have decided to stick with most of the players from the current ICC event, avoiding a major overhaul. However, batters Saud Shakil and Kamran Ghulam have been dropped from the ODI squad along with fast bowlers Shaheen Shah Afridi and Haris Rauf.
The series in New Zealand is set to begin on March 16 and Pakistan will have to face the challenge without the talented opener, Saim Ayub, who is still recovering from an ankle injury. In addition, Fakhar Zaman has also been ruled out of the tour due to an injury he sustained during the first match of the Champions Trophy. Both players have been unfortunate with injuries, with Saim getting hurt while fielding in the Test series against South Africa earlier this year.
The ODI squad includes players like Muhammad Rizwan, Salman Ali Agha, Abdullah Shafique, and Faheem Ashraf, among others. On the other hand, Salman Ali Agha, Shadab Khan, and Muhammad Abbas Afridi are some of the top names in the T20 squad. The selectors have put together a talented group of players for both formats, and it will be interesting to see how they perform in New Zealand.
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