07.09.2021,13:09 873 0

Pakistan Name ODI Squad for Home Series Versus New Zealand

Pakistan Name ODI Squad for Home Series Versus New Zealand

Four new players have been inducted by Pakistan who have named their squad of 20 for the ODI series versus New Zealand in late September. New Zealand who are visiting Pakistan for the first time since 2003 are due to play three ODIs and five T20I games during their tour.

Big Names Missing in NZ Ranks

New Zealand will be missing some marquee players who will be playing at the time in the second leg of the Indian Premier League. The PCB has decided to use the opportunity to name a few uncapped players in the squad.

Four Uncapped Players

The uncapped players in the ODI squad include Zahid Mahmood, a wrist spinner, Shahnawaz Dahani and Md Wasim, both new-ball bowlers, and Md Haris, a keeper-batsman. However, Sohaib Maqsood and Sarfaraz Nawaz who were part of the Pakistan squad that toured England in July are major omissions.

Shah, Ahmed Recalled

The PCB had earlier included Dahani in the test squad to Zimbabwe and the West Indies but did not give him his international debut. Md Wasim has represented Pakistan in four T20Is, while Mahmood has played a lone T20I.  The selectors have also recalled middle-order batsmen, Khushdil Shah and Iftikhar Ahmed. Iftikhar has played seven ODIs, the last one versus Zimbabwe in Rawalpindi, while Khushdil has appeared in only a solitary ODI, the same match versus Zimbabwe in Rawalpindi, which, incidentally, ended in a tie.

<

Chief Selector Weighs in

According to Md Waseem, chief selector, those who did well in domestic matches have been rewarded.

“The series against New Zealand is extremely important for Pakistan as the matches are part of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 qualification. While we have tried to put together a formidable and a balanced unit, we have continued to ensure that we give opportunities to high-performing players while looking into the future so that we can develop strong bench strength.”

“Middle-order has remained our concern and, as such, after trying a few options, we have decided to give another run to Iftikhar Ahmed and Khushdil Shah, the two batters have played sufficient 50-over cricket at the domestic level and boast the required firepower to utilise the slog overs. We are optimistic they will come good in-home conditions.”

“I know a few players will feel disappointed at missing out on the selection, but we have a busy season of cricket ahead, which means there will be ample opportunities down the line for everyone to put up strong performances and push their case for national selection.”

Babar

Babar Azam to Lead Side

tan will be led by Babar Azam in both ODI and T20I series. Rawalpindi will host the ODI matches to be held on 17, 19 and 21 September. New Zealand will travel to Lahore to play the five T20Is. Pakistan have yet to announce the squad for the series.

Squad

Squad Composition

quad: Babar Azam, Iftikhar Ahmed, Hasan Ali, Faheem Ashraf, Shahnawaz Dahani, Imam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Haris, Mohammad Hasnain, Shadab Khan, Zahid Mahmood, Mohammad Nawaz, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Rizwan, Abdullah Shafique, Khushdil Shah, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Saud Shakeel, Usman Qadir, Mohammad Wasim, Fakhar Zaman.

Liked? Share:
0   voted
Similar news
ICC Changes Qualification Pathway to 2027 ODI World Cup
ICC Changes Qualification Pathway to 2027 ODI World Cup
Read more

Changes to the qualification pathway to the ODI World Cup 2027 have been approved by the Board of Directors of the International Cricket Council (ICC). Fourteen teams will feature in the new qualification scenario that will use ICC team rankings to allow 10 automatically qualified teams. Number of Teams Increased from 10 to 14 for […]

Sri Lanka Bank on Local Coaches to Replace Arthur
Sri Lanka Bank on Local Coaches to Replace Arthur
Read more

Many ex-players including a former captain have been tapped by Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) to step into head coach Mickey Arthur’s shoes when he leaves the Sri Lankan squad to begin his coaching assignment with English county side Derbyshire in December. According to a report in a Sri Lankan national daily, SLC has approached Mahela […]

India Set to Host 2031 ODI World Cup
India Set to Host 2031 ODI World Cup
Read more

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has handed the hosting rights for the first ODI World Cup of the 30s decade to the BCCI. On 16 November, the ICC released a fresh schedule for major multilateral competitions. According to the schedule, India will host the ODI World Cup in 2031 after co-hosting the T20I World Cup […]

West Indies to Tour Pakistan in December for Three T20Is and ODIs
West Indies to Tour Pakistan in December for Three T20Is and ODIs
Read more

West Indies are due to tour Pakistan for a white-ball series in December 2021. They will play three ODIs and three T20Is on tour in which Karachi will host all the matches. One of the three ODIs will count within the World Super League cycle ahead of the 2023 World Cup. CWI Has Tried to […]

Tough for SA to Qualify Automatically for ODI World Cup
Tough for SA to Qualify Automatically for ODI World Cup
Read more

After losing the recent ODI series 2-1 to Sri Lanka, South Africa run the risk of not featuring among the best eight teams in the points table of the ODI Super League. Consequently, they may not automatically qualify for the 2023 ODI World Cup. When the series began, South Africa were in 10th place, while […]

Jaskaran Malhotra Is USA's First ODI Centurion
Jaskaran Malhotra Is USA’s First ODI Centurion
Read more

Jaskaran Malhotra celebrated his return to international cricket by scoring the USA’s first ODI hundred against Papua New Guinea on 10 September. Malhotra last played for the national side in their first ever ODI that they hosted back in September 2019. The icing on the cake was a feat of six sixes in the 50th […]