Pakistan Drops Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan for New Zealand T20I Series

Pakistan's cricket selectors have brought in radical changes to the T20I side for the coming series against New Zealand. The biggest shock is that Babar Azam, the ex-captain, and Mohammad Rizwan, the wicketkeeper-batter, have been left out of the squad. Salman Agha is now the new T20I captain in their place, while Shadab Khan will act as the vice-captain.

New Faces in the Squad
With Babar and Rizwan unavailable, Pakistan has brought in new players to try their luck in T20 cricket. Mohammad Haris has been brought back into the team, while young guns such as Hasan Nawaz and Abdul Samad have been handed an opportunity. Omair Yousuf, a talented batter from the Quetta Gladiators, has also been added to the team.The bowling attack is unchanged, with Shaheen Afridi and Haris Rauf heading the pace attack. But Naseem Shah has been left out of the T20I team.

Pakistan name ODI and T20I squads for New Zealand tour

Details here ➡️ https://t.co/h5ZvZ3nuOY#NZvPAK

— PCB Media (@TheRealPCBMedia) March 4, 2025

Changes in the ODI Squad
For the ODI team, Mohammad Rizwan has been appointed as the captain, and Babar Azam is still in the squad. Shaheen Afridi, however, has been omitted from the ODI team. Left-arm pacer Akif Javed has been given his maiden call-up to the national team in his place. Abdullah Shafique also returns to the ODI team after being left out of the last tournaments.
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Reason for the Changes
These are part of Pakistan's plan to try out new combinations before the T20 World Cup, to be held in the West Indies and USA next year. The selectors are eager to try out new talent and prepare a balanced team for the future.