PCB Announces Squads for New Zealand Tour; Major Changes Introduced

Babar and Rizwan have been dropped from Pakistan's T20I squad

Saman SiddiquiMarch 4, 2025

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PCB Announces Squads for New Zealand Tour; Major Changes Introduced

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Tuesday unveiled the squads for the upcoming tour of New Zealand, marking significant shifts in leadership and player selections across both One Day Internationals (ODIs) and Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is).

As per the announcement, Mohammad Rizwan retains his role as captain, with Salman Ali Agha appointed as vice-captain for the ODI squad.

Meanwhile, Salman Ali Agha has been elevated to captain, with Shadab Khan serving as his deputy for the T20 squad.

Openers Fakhar Zaman and Saim Ayub were not considered for selection in either format due to medical advice.

Meanwhile, Aqib Javed will continue as the interim head coach for the New Zealand tour, with Mohammad Yousuf joining as the batting coach.

The Pakistan team is set to play five T20Is from March 16 to 26, followed by three ODIs from March 29 to April 5, 2025.

Squad Selections:

ODI Squad: Mohammad Rizwan (captain), Salman Ali Agha (vice-captain), Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Akif Javed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Imam-ul-Haq, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Wasim Jr., Muhammad Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Sufyan Moqim, and Tayyab Tahir.
T20I Squad: Salman Ali Agha (captain), Shadab Khan (vice-captain), Abdul Samad, Abrar Ahmed, Haris Rauf, Hasan Nawaz, Jahandad Khan, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Haris, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Omair Bin Yousaf, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufyan Moqim, and Usman Khan.

The significant reshuffling follows Pakistan’s underwhelming Champions Trophy campaign, where the defending champions were knocked out in the group stage.