Babar, Rizwan excluded from T20I squad for New Zealand series

Pakistan have left out Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan from the T20I squad for the upcoming series against New Zealand, appointing Salman Ali Agha as captain for the shortest format.

However, Rizwan will continue as captain for the ODI series, with Babar also included in the squad, while Shaheen Shah Afridi has been left out of the 50-over format.

The major shuffle comes after Pakistan's disappointing Champions Trophy campaign, which saw the defending champions being eliminated during the group stage of the tournament.

The New Zealand tour will run from March 16 to April 5, with the T20I series set for March 16-26 and the ODI series scheduled from March 29 to April 5.

In a statement, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said that the decision to appoint Salman and Shadab as T20I captain and vice-captain, respectively, has been made with an eye on two major upcoming tournaments.

The events include the ACC Men’s T20 Asia Cup 2025 (September 2025) and the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 (February/March 2026). Salman previously led Pakistan in a T20I series against Zimbabwe last year, winning 2-1.

The PCB said that Rizwan will continue leading the ODI side as Pakistan builds towards the ICC Men’s 50-over Cricket World Cup 2027, which will take place in Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe in October-November 2027.

Uncapped players 

In the T20I squad, there are three uncapped players — Abdul Samad, Hasan Nawaz and Mohammad Ali — while Akif Javed and Mohammad Ali are the two players who have yet to debut in ODIs.

The four players have been rewarded for their impressive performances in the Champions One-Day and T20 Cups.

In the Champions T20 Cup, Samad scored 115 runs at a strike rate of 166.67 after aggregating 145 runs at a strike rate of 122.88 in the Champions One-Day Cup.

Likewise, Nawaz had a staller Champions T20 Cup, finishing as the second leading run-getter with 312 runs at a strike-rate of 142.47. Ali with 22 wickets was the leading wicket-taker in the Champions T20 Cup, while he took three wickets in the Champions One-Day Cup.

Akif has been selected for the ODI side after his seven wickets in five Champions One-Day Cup matches, while he took 15 wickets in the Champions T20 Cup.

What about Fakhar Zaman, Saim Ayub?

Openers Fakhar Zaman and Saim Ayub were not considered for either format on medical advice.

Fakhar suffered a left lower intercostal muscle sprain during Pakistan’s ICC Champions Trophy 2025 opener against New Zealand, while Saim is recovering from a right ankle fracture sustained on the first day of the Cape Town Test against South Africa in January.

Both are expected to be fully fit for the HBL Pakistan Super League 10, starting in Rawalpindi on 11 April 2025.

New batting coach

Aqib Javed will continue as interim head coach for the New Zealand tour.

His original term was until the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, but he has been asked to extend his tenure while the search for a permanent head coach begins.

Mohammad Yousuf has been appointed as batting coach.

Squads

T20I: Salman Ali Agha (c), Shadab Khan (vc), Abdul Samad, Abrar Ahmed, Haris Rauf, Hasan Nawaz, Jahandad Khan, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Haris, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Omair Bin Yousuf, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufyan Moqim

ODI: Mohammad Rizwan, Salman Ali Agha (vc), 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, Tayyab Tahir.

A wicketkeeper/batter will be added to the ODI squad following the T20Is.

New Zealand tour schedule

• Mar 16 – first T20I, Hagley Oval, Christchurch
• Mar 18 – second T20I, University Oval, Dunedin
• Mar 21 – third T20I, Eden Park, Auckland
• Mar 23 – fourth T20I, Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui
• Mar 26 – fifth T20I, Sky Stadium, Wellington
• Mar 29 – first ODI, McLean Park, Napier
• Apr 2 – second ODI, Seddon Park, Hamilton
• Apr 5 – third ODI, Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui