LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board have announced the squad for the upcoming tour of New Zealand in a press conference on Tuesday.
The series set to start later this month will feature five T20 Internationals (T20I’s) and three One Day Internationals (ODIs) running from March 16 to April 5.
Salman Ali Agha has been appointed as the captain of Pakistan’s T20 team for the five match T20 International PAK vs NZ series, scheduled from March 16 to March 26. Shadab Khan will serve as his deputy vice captain. Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan will not be playing in the T20 games.
Mohammad Rizwan will continue as the ODI captain, while Agha Salman will be his vice-captain for the three match ODI series, which will take place from March 29 to April 5. Shaheen Shah Afridi is a notable absentee from the ODI matches.
Poor Champions Trophy form
The team announcement comes amid widespread criticism of the national team’s poor performance in the ongoing ICC Champions Trophy 2025.
Pakistan’s early exit from the tournament, marked by losses to India and New Zealand as well as a washed-out match against Bangladesh, has sparked calls for reforms within the PCB.
Future plans
The decision to appoint Agha Salman and Shadab Khan as T20 captain and vice-captain in the PAK vs NZ series, respectively, has been made with an eye on two major upcoming tournaments: the ACC Men’s T20 Asia Cup 2025 (September 2025) and the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup (February-March 2026).
Salman previously led Pakistan in the T20I series against Zimbabwe last year, securing a 2-1 victory.
Mohammad Rizwan will continue to lead the ODI team in the PAK vs NZ series as Pakistan prepares for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2027, scheduled to take place in October-November 2027 across Namibia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe.
Aaqib Javed will remain as the interim head coach for the PAK vs NZ series. His time was supposed to last until the end of the ICC Champions Trophy but the PCB have asked him to extend his stay as interim head coach through the PAK vs NZ series while they look for a more permanent option to succeed him.
Squad for the PAK vs NZ series
Pakistan’s ODI squad against New Zealand: 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 Jnr, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Sufyan Moqim and Tayyab Tahir.
Pakistan’s T20I squad against New Zealand: 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
NOTE: A wicketkeeper/batter will be added to the ODI squad following the T20Is
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