Another series again against New Zealand is in the pipeline as a preparation before the next T20 World Cup.

Before this, they played five Twenty20 International during a tour of New Zealand in January. Then Pakistani players played in the local Pakistan Super League. They will now host a series against New Zealand then they travel to Ireland to play three T20s. Then they will play a T20 series against England. Pakistan is looking to boost their morale in their matches against New Zealand to get maximum preparations before the mega event of the T20 World Cup.
In Pakistani cricket, things are always changing.

Lastly, Pakistan played with New Zealand in 2023. Babar was the skipper at that time, and the series tied with 2-2. Babar stepped down after the ODI World Cup, and Shaheen succeeded him. Watching poor performance from the new captain the new PCB chairman called Babar back as the skipper of Pakistan.

The new selection committee comprises Wahab Riaz Asad Shafiq Abdul Razzaq and Muhammad Yousuf. Moreover, the coaching staff includes Saeed Ajmal Umar Gul and Adam Hollioake during the tours of Australia and New Zealand in 2023. In addition to that, Muhammad Haffez served as a team director in 2023. Now Wahab Riaz is the team manager Muhammad Yousaf as batting coach and Saeed Ajmal is still the spin coach. Azhar Mahmood is the new head coach.

Off the field, a lot has been going on, which is typical of Pakistani cricket. After Babar was brought back, the PCB was even compelled to have crisis talks because of a claim made by Shaheen that the left-arm pacer denied. Although there has been a strange quiet for a while, turmoil is always possible in Pakistani cricket. In an attempt to refocus attention on cricket, they will be praying that the impending T20 World Cup doesn’t disturb the players or the team atmosphere.

Returns and unretirement, as well as fresh faces

This is also not a novel development in Pakistani cricket. players declaring their retirements, then eventually coming back to the squad. The newest members of the group, Imad Wasim and Mohammed Amir, will be eager to create an impression given the upcoming global event. “Considering their selection status, Haris Rauf’s injury, and Muhammad Nawaz’s current form, it was an easy decision to include Imad Wasim and Mohammad Amir. Unquestionably, Amir and Imad can win games. We believe they will continue to put in great performances to support the team’s goals “Wahab said.

In nine PSL 2024 matches, the 32-year-old Amir claimed 10 wickets for the Quetta Gladiators, averaging 28.60 with an economy of 8.41. In the PSL, Wasim took 12 wickets at an average of 20.91 with an economy of 6.60, including one fifer. Together with his 126 runs, which included a half-century, he helped Islamabad United win the championship.

Usman Khan and Muhammad Irfan Khan are the other two uncapped players in Pakistan. Usman scored 430 runs in just seven innings at an average of 107.50. He did it with a strike rate of 164.12 including two hundreds and two fifties. It makes him the second-highest run scorer in the PSL. Irfan played eight innings for the Karachi Kings. He scored 171 runs with a strike percentage of 140.16 and an average of 42.75.

A moment for Kiwi athletes to advocate for the World Cup

In the meantime, the New Zealand squad will be keen to deliver strong performances in the big names’ absence. They will try to make themselves a contender for the big event selection. When the admin chose the team for this series, up to 12 players were unavailable. While Will Young (winter contract with Nottinghamshire), Tom Latham (awaiting the birth of a second child), Tim Southee (conditioning), Colin Munro, and Devon Conway (injury) were away on IPL duty, Trent Boult, Matt Henry, Daryl Mitchell, Rachin Ravindra, Lockie Ferguson Mitch Santner, Glenn Phillips and Kane Williamson were also not available for selection.

Before the team left for Pakistan, they ruled out pacer Adam Milne (ankle injury) and opener Finn Allen (back injury) . It severely hampered New Zealand. The team’s replacements were uncapped all-rounder Zak Foulkes and wicketkeeper Tom Blundell. With rookie Tim Robinson and Will O’Rourke, it will have a fresh appearance and be included in the setup with no format cap.