The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is anticipated to unveil the national squad for the T20I series against New Zealand within the next few days, according to a report. The process of finalizing the squad is currently underway in Kakul, Abbottabad, where players are undergoing rigorous physical training supervised by Pakistan Army staff.
Captain Babar Azam and the national selectors are in consultation at Kakul to determine the squad, having recently met with PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi for the same purpose. It is expected that an 18-member squad will be announced for the home series, scheduled to commence on April 18, with the visiting team arriving in Pakistan on April 14.
Fast bowler Haris Rauf, who sustained a shoulder injury during the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 9, is still undergoing rehabilitation and may not be fully fit. The potential squad includes Babar, Saim Ayub, Muhammad Rizwan, Sahibzada Farhan, Salman Ali Agha, Iftikhar Ahmed, Azam Khan, Shadab Khan, Usama Mir, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah, Imad Waseem, Muhammad Amir, Zaman Khan, Usman Khan, Wasim Jr, Irfan Niazi, and Abbas Afridi. Fakhar Zaman’s hand injury is also under review.
There are discussions about resting leading pacer Shaheen for part of the New Zealand series, aligning with the PCB’s policy to reduce workload on key fast bowlers and assess the form and fitness of newcomers. Consequently, returning fast bowlers may have greater opportunities to feature in the T20I series against New Zealand. It’s possible that Shaheen and other prominent fast bowlers may be rested either for the initial matches or the entire series against the visiting team.
