 "Babar Azam will once again captain Pakistan against New Zealand in a five-match T20I series. AP")
Babar Azam was the central figure during the ODI World Cup last year in India. The Pakistan captain failed to fire , as did the team, to crash out in the group stage. It resulted in some knee jerk reactions, including the decision to end Azam’s reign as captain . Head coach Mickey Arthur left along with Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Zaka Ashraf.
Fast forward four months, Azam is back in command of the Pakistan cricket team . Shaheen Shah Afridi’s run as skipper in T20s lasted all of one series. Following changes at the boardroom level within the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Azam has returned to lead the side with the T20 World Cup just weeks away.
Mohsin Naqvi, the country’s interior minister, has taken up PCB’s top post and reorganised the selection committee. Wahab Riaz has been named as chief selector while Azhar Mahmood, Mohammad Yousuf and Abdul Razzaq will guide the team as coaches.
The first step in the preparation begins with a five-match T20I series against an under strength New Zealand.
With rumours of rift between the players, supporters would hope that spending time together at a fitness camp at an army base will have been good for the team bonding.
Head coach Azhar Mahmood said Tuesday that the T20 World Cup in June in the United States and West Indies is very much on their minds.
“I have full faith in the selected squad and the morale is very high in the team, so we will overcome all the shortcomings so that we can do our best in the World Cup,” he told news agency AFP.
Impact Shorts
More Shorts“You cannot take any team lightly in the T20 format and if New Zealand is missing their key players then there is an opportunity for their young players.”
Pakistan suffered major upheaval following their first-round exit from the one-day World Cup last year.
Fast bowler Mohammad Amir and spinning all-rounder Imad Wasim also return to international cricket in this series after coming out of retirement.
In the away camp, New Zealand arrived on the weekend, having sent a security team last month . In 2021 the Black Caps pulled out of a tour of Pakistan at the 11th hour over security fears, but returned twice in 2023.
New Zealand are missing key top players including skipper Kane Williamson as they play for T20 franchises in the Indian Premier League.
Stand-in skipper Michael Bracewell says it gives the younger players a chance. “I think the group of young players have come through and have played a lot of T20 cricket growing up,” said Bracewell, who has returned after a year-long injury lay-off.
“They have fresh ideas on how the game should be played and as a group we will just try to play our game.”
Tim Southee, the world’s top wicket-taker in T20Is with 157, has been rested.
The experienced duo of Adam Milne and Finn Allen suffered injuries a day before the team’s departure.
All-rounder Zac Foulkes, hard-hitting batsman Tim Robinson and seamer Will O’Rourke are uncapped in T20s.
The first three matches of the series are in Rawalpindi, with Lahore hosting the last two.
Teams (from):
Pakistan: Babar Azam (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Azam Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohmmad Amir, Irfan Niazi, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usama Mir, Usman Khan, Zaman Khan
New Zealand: Michael Bracewell (captain), Mark Chapman, Josh Clarkson, Jacob Duffy, Dean Foxcroft, Ben Lister, Cole McConchie, Jimmy Neesham, Will O’Rourke, Tim Robinson, Ben Sears, Tim Seifert, Ish Sodhi, Zac Foulkes, Tom Blundell.