Last updated: March 4, 2025

Pakistan Recall Veteran in Leadership Role for New Zealand T20Is, No Babar Azam or Mohammed Rizwan

As always, a few decisions have surprised one and all with their calls looking reactionary again.

Pakistan have announced squads for the white-ball series against New Zealand after the Champions Trophy 2025. As always, a few decisions have surprised one and all with their calls looking reactionary again.

They have named Salman Ali Agha captain of the T20I side, with Shadab Khan also recalled in the shortest format. Further, the team management has appointed him vice-captain, which is shocking, given he wasn’t even part of the setup till the last series.

Shadab’s last T20I outing for Pakistan came in the T20 World Cup 2024 and has been out of the national side since. He was recently engaged in First-Class cricket, but the thought process behind his recall is hard to understand.

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Meanwhile, Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan are absent from the T20I squad. The senior duo has been dropped according to ESPNcricinfo because Pakistan wants to break their faulty opening combination. If their report is true, Rizwan’s T20I captaincy tenure ends without any wins in five attempts, and the urgency for a new captain is baffling. Such instances often occur in Pakistan Cricket.

No Shaheen Afridi for ODIs; Saim Ayub still unfit

Another notable move came in the ODI side, as Shaheen Afridi found no place despite doing well in this format. Shaheen did well in Australia and South Africa, where Pakistan won the series, but remained underwhelming in the Champions Trophy 2025.

Mohammad Rizwan will continue leading the ODI side, with no other major changes in the squad. However, Saim Ayub hasn’t recovered from his ankle injury in South Africa and will remain absent for this vital away series against the Kiwis.

The inclusion of fresh faces in the T20I squad indicates Pakistan are looking to move away from the settled template and play more aggressively in the format. The only way to do that is to bring big hitters who don’t put enough price on their wickets and go hard from the first ball.

The five-match T20I series against New Zealand will start on March 16 in Christchurch, followed by a three-match ODI series. This will be the start for both teams to prepare for the next T20 World Cup in 2026 and ODI World Cup in 2027.

Pakistan T20I squad: Hasan Nawaz, Omair Yousuf, Mohammad Haris, Abdul Samad, Salman Agha (capt), Irfan Niazi, Khushdil Shah, Shadab Khan, Abbas Afridi, Jahandad Khan, Mohammad Ali, Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, Sufiyaan Muqeem, Abrar Ahmed, Usman Khan.

Pakistan ODI squad: Mohammad Rizwan (capt), Salman Agha, Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Akif Javed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Imam-ul-Haq, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Irfan Niazi, Naseem Shah, Sufiyan Muqeem, Tayyab Tahir.

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