Pakistan will tour New Zealand for a T20I series, and the selection committee is likely to bring some new faces along with seasoned players. The team has a combination of all-rounders, pace bowlers, and hard-hitting batters.
The team has players such as Shadab Khan, Haris Rauf, and Sufiyan Muqeem, along with new faces like Irfan Khan and Jahandad Khan. Following is the likely squad:

Likely Squad

🚨Pakistan's likely T20I squad for New Zealand tour.

- Shadab, Haris, Sufiyan, Arafat, Irfan Khan, Zaman Khan, Wasim Jr, Abbas Afridi, Jahandad Khan, Agha Salman, Abrar, Omair Bin Yousuf, Khushdil, Hassan Nawaz, Ali Raza, Abdul Samad, Akif Javed and Khawaja Nafay. pic.twitter.com/gKNp0Uci1s

— Salman 🇵🇰 (@SalmanAsif2007) March 2, 2025

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This team represents Pakistan's plan to strike a balance between inexperience and experience. Having youth players included means that the management has the strategy of developing future stars well before big events.
Pakistan will be looking for a good outing against New Zealand, and people cannot wait to witness how this team fares

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is planning to include new-found talents in the March-April T20I series against New Zealand. This is being done after Pakistan's humiliating Champions Trophy exit when they became the first team to be knocked out despite being the host country. Based on reports, emerging talents from national cricket have been summoned to Lahore to attend a meeting with board officials during the selection process. The effort goes with Pakistan's vision for the 2026 T20 World Cup, to be held in India and Sri Lanka.

🚨Mohammad Rizwan has been removed from T20I captaincy after today's meeting with PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi. [Ejaz Wasim Bukhari]

- Shadab Khan is likely to lead the Pakistan T20I squad for New Zealand tour. pic.twitter.com/yKrZsTU7y5

— Salman 🇵🇰 (@SalmanAsif2007) March 1, 2025

ALSO SEE: PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi to Lead Asian Cricket Council Post Champions Trophy 2025

Meanwhile, ex-wicketkeeper-batsman Rashid Latif came up with a list of youth players to be considered for the next series. His suggestions are Hassan Nawaz, Ali Raza, Abdul Samad, Akif Javed, and Muhammad Nafay. Besides, he thinks all-rounder Shadab Khan is the best choice to be the captain of the T20I team.
The wicketkeeper batter further shared some more names for the likely squad which are Muhammad Haris, Sufyan Muqeem, Arafat Minhas, Irfan Khan Niazi, Zaman Khan, Mohammad Wasim, Abbas Afridi, Jahandad Khan, Agha Salman, Abrar Ahmed, Omair Bin Yousuf and Khushdil Shah.
The Pakistani team will leave for New Zealand on March 12, and the five-match T20I series will start on March 16. Besides the T20Is, Pakistan will also feature in three ODIs, and the tour will last until April 5. Meanwhile, there are reports that some of the senior players are considering a break from international cricket after their dismal performances in the Champions Trophy.
Major players like Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, Naseem Shah, and Babar Azam are said to be in the discussion in the selection meetings with some thinking of pulling out from the tour to prevent themselves from being dropped.

In a cricketing encounter marked by a stark mismatch, Mongolia experienced a crushing defeat against Japan in a T20 International match held on May 8, 2024, at the Sano International Cricket Ground. The match witnessed Mongolia recording the second-lowest score in T20I history, managing a mere 12 runs in their innings.

Match Details

The T20 International clash between Mongolia and Japan unfolded at the Sano International Cricket Ground, highlighting the growing presence of cricket beyond traditional cricket-playing nations. Despite Mongolia’s earnest efforts, the match turned into a one-sided affair as Japan asserted their dominance on the field.

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Japan, batting first, posted a daunting total of 218 runs, buoyed by a stellar innings from Sabaorish Ravichandran, who contributed 69 runs to the team’s tally. In response, Mongolia faltered against Japan’s formidable bowling lineup, succumbing to the pressure and managing only 12 runs in their innings.

Mongolia’s Struggles

Mongolia’s batting lineup struggled to contend with Japan’s disciplined bowling attack, with the team failing to build partnerships or muster significant resistance. The young left-arm seamer, 17-year-old Kazuma Kato-Stafford, emerged as the chief tormentor for Mongolia, claiming an impressive 5-wicket haul for just 7 runs. His stellar performance epitomized Japan’s dominance throughout the match.

Despite efforts from individual players like Tur Sumaya, who top-scored with a modest 4 runs, Mongolia’s batting order collapsed under the relentless pressure of Japan’s bowlers. Namsrai Bat-yalalt, facing the most deliveries, was unable to anchor the innings, reflecting the collective struggle faced by the Mongolian team.

Lowest Totals in Men’s T20Is

Emerging Cricket in Mongolia

The harsh defeat against Japan underscores the challenges faced by Mongolia in its nascent journey in international cricket. Introduced to the sport only seven months prior, Mongolia has encountered formidable opposition and steep learning curves, exemplified by its struggles in various competitions, including the Asian Games.

This was the second T20I of a seven-match series, while the third one, slated later in the day, did not yield any result.

In the first T20I, Mongolia were bowled out for 33 in reply to Japan’s 199 for 5, enduring a 166-run defeat.

This was Mongolia’s fifth T20I appearance, having made international debut at the Hangzhou showpiece where they made a group stage exit after losing both their matches.

Nepal had amassed 314/3 against Mongolia on their international debut, a match they had lost by 273 runs after getting out for 41.