Pakistan announce 35-member squad for tour of New Zealand

[MenInG]

Pakistan name 35-player squad for New Zealand

• Chief selector, head coaches of six Cricket Associations, Ijaz Ahmed and Saqlain Mushtaq were part of the consultation process

• Uncapped Amad Butt, Danish Aziz, Imran Butt and Rohail Nazir named; Abdullah Shafique and Usman Qadir also part of the squad whose average age is 27.4

• Mohammad Rizwan confirmed vice-captain for Test; Rohail Nazir and Haider Ali appointed Shaheens’ captain and vice-captain, respectively

• Asad Shafiq left out due to lack of form; selectors prefer youth over Amir and Shoaib; squad selected from a pool of 45 players, which was submitted to the NZC on 12 October

Lahore, 11 November 2020:

Pakistan today announced a 35-player squad for the upcoming tour of New Zealand from which the national men’s and Shaheens squads will be selected. The players, along with 20-member players support personnel, will depart for Lincoln on 23 November where they will spend the mandatory 14-day quarantine period.

While the Shaheens schedule is yet to be confirmed by New Zealand Cricket, Pakistan men’s national team will play three T20Is on 18, 20 and 22 December, and the ICC World Test Championship fixtures will be held in Mount Maunganui and Christchurch on 26-30 December and 3-7 January, respectively.

Apart from the 35 players involved in pre-series intra-squad matches as part of their preparations, Pakistan men’s national team players not involved in international matches against New Zealand will be available for selection for the Shaheens’ matches against New Zealand A.

This means Test players not involved in the T20Is in the first half of the series against New Zealand will be available for selection for Shaheens, who are expected to be playing four-day matches against New Zealand A during that period. Likewise, when the national side is involved in the ICC World Test Championship matches against New Zealand, national men’s team players not part of those matches will be available for selection for the Shaheens, who are expected to be involved in 20-over games against New Zealand A during those days.

While selecting the squads, chief selector and head coach Misbah-ul-Haq consulted the six Cricket Association head coaches, Shaheens head coach Ijaz Ahmed and Saqlain Mushtaq, head of international player development.

Babar Azam has been confirmed Pakistan captain in all formats. His vice-captain in Tests will be Mohammad Rizwan, while Shadab will be the vice-captain.

The PCB has also appointed Rohail Nazir as Shaheens’ captain with Haider Ali as his vice-captain. The two had performed these responsibilities at this year’s ICC U19 Cricket World Cup in South Africa earlier this year.

35-player squad is:

Openers (six): Abid Ali (Central Punjab/Lahore Qalandars), Abdullah Shafique (Central Punjab), Fakhar Zaman (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa/Lahore Qalandars), Imam-ul-Haq (Balochistan/Peshawar Zalmi), Shan Masood (Soutern Punjab/Multan Sultans) and Zeeshan Malik (Northern)

Middle-order batsmen (11): Babar Azam (captain) (Central Punjab/Karachi Kings), Azhar Ali (Central Punjab), Danish Aziz (Sindh), Fawad Alam (Sindh), Haider Ali (Shaheens vice-captain, Northern/Peshawar Zalmi), Haris Sohail (Balochistan), Hussain Talat (Southern Punjab/Islamabad United), Iftikhar Ahmed (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa/Karachi Kings), Imran Butt (Balochistan), Khushdil Shah (Southern Punjab/Multan Sultans) and Mohammad Hafeez (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa/Peshawar Zalmi)

Wicketkeepers (three): Mohammad Rizwan (vice-captain, Tests) (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa/Karachi Kings), Rohail Nazir (Shaheens captain, Northern/Multan Sultans) and Sarfaraz Ahmed (Sindh/Quetta Gladiators)

Spinners (five): Imad Wasim (Northern/Karachi Kings), Shadab Khan (vice-captain, T20Is) (Northern/Islamabad United), Usman Qadir (Central Punjab/Multan Sultans), Yasir Shah (Balochistan/Peshawar Zalmi) and Zafar Gohar (Central Punjab/Islamabad United)

Fast bowlers (10): Amad Butt (Balochistan/Islamabad United), Faheem Ashraf (Central Punjab/Islamabad United), Haris Rauf (Northern/Lahore Qalandars), Mohammad Abbas (Southern Punjab/Multan Sultans), Mohammad Hasnain (Sindh/Quetta Gladiators), Mohammad Musa (Northern/Islamabad United), Naseem Shah (Central Punjab/Quetta Gladiators), Shaheen Shah Afridi (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa/Lahore Qalandars), Sohail Khan (Sindh/Quetta Gladiators) and Wahab Riaz (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa/Peshawar Zalmi)

Pakistan head coach and chief selector Misbah-ul-Haq: “These unprecedented Covid-19 times provide a unique opportunity to some of the most talented and best domestic performers to represent the national and Shaheens squads against a quality opposition such as New Zealand, gain valuable experience and exposure, and further improve their skills so that they can strengthen their claims for international call-ups.

“This tour schedule has been designed in such a way that we play tough intra-squad matches in the lead up to international matches and compensate for the local oppositions. While the national side will be involved in one format, Shaheens will be in action in the other format. This means all the players will be busy and playing competitive cricket.”

“The matches in New Zealand are critical for us as we aim to improve our T20I rankings and also gain valuable points in the ICC World Test Championship. In this background and taking into consideration recent player performances, we have selected the best available players.

“I want to congratulate uncapped Amad Butt, Danish Aziz, Imran Butt and Rohail Nazir who have impressed the selectors with their form, technique, temperament and ability to secure places in the 35-player pool. However, these four players are amongst some other players who have been selected specifically for Shaheens as part of our strategy to build our bench strength.

“There are three major omissions from the side that toured England. Asad Shafiq has been left out due to lack of form after he managed 510 runs in his last 15 innings, including a total of 67 runs in England. Asad is an experienced batsman and I am sure he will utilise this time to work harder on his game in the domestic first-class matches so that he, like Sarfaraz Ahmed, can reclaim his form and be back in contention for the upcoming Tests against South Africa and Zimbabwe.

“Shoaib Malik and Mohammad Amir are not part of the white-ball matches as for this tour we have opted to invest, develop and focus on the promising and emerging players who are likely to be available to Pakistan for all formats.

“We have kept faith in Mohammad Hafeez and Wahab Riaz purely on the basis of their outstanding and consistent performances as well as the value they bring to the T20I squad.

“The ongoing domestic season has produced three highly impressive and consistent spinners in Nauman Ali, Sajid Khan and Zahid Mahmood. Unfortunately, due to New Zealand government regulations as part of their Covid-19 travel requirements, we had to provide a provisional list of 45 players to New Zealand Cricket by 12 October and, as such, these players missed out because at that time, the National T20 Cup was ongoing while the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy had not commenced.

“However, the positive side is we are now developing a strong pool of top-quality spinners who will challenge each other for places in the national sides that, in turn, will help in the overall performances in the sides.”

Pakistan v New Zealand (in bracket are start times in Pakistan Standard Times):

18 Dec – 1st T20I, Eden Park, Auckland (1200 PST)
20 Dec – 2nd T20I, Seddon Park, Hamilton (1200 PST)
22 Dec – 3rd T20I, McLean Park, Napier (1200 PST)
26-30 Dec – 1st Test, Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui (0400 PST)
3-7 Jan – 2nd Test, Hagley Oval, Christchurch (0400 PST)

Schedule of Shaheens vs New Zealand A will be announced as soon as it is confirmed by the NZC

 

[Mobashir]

View attachment 104435

They have selected the whole world but not Mohammad Amir.

Amir is a must for the T20 World cup in India.

 

[Mobashir]

View attachment 104435

Two big disappointments for me: No Saud Shakeel and Hammad Azam when you have the whole Pakistan selected but these two still don't get selected.

 

[Shafi]

Positive::: Abdullah Shafiq, Zeeshan Malik, Danish (not sure he is middle order batsman), Imran Butt, Amad Butt. Talat
Negative::: Fakhar, Sarfraz, Fahim, Musa and Sohail Khan (no fitness)

What happened to Saud Shakil?
Are Amir, S Malik and Shafiq rested?

 

[Kaddy]

Finally..............Asad 'Tendulkar' Shafiq dropped........

 

[Square Drive]

Asad Shafiq dropped!?!?!!?!?!?!?!

 

[Shafi]

Two big disappointments for me: No Saud Shakeel and Hammad Azam when you have the whole Pakistan selected but these two still don't get selected.

Saud should be selected, Hammad is not a good player at all.

 

[Shafi]

Finally..............Asad 'Tendulkar' Shafiq dropped........

Malik as well.

 

[Shafi]

Does anyone know when they will announce Shaheen Squad?

 

[GoUgandaCranes]

Did they just drop Asad Shafiq entirely?

Nauman and Zahid are missing in terms of spinners. Saud Shakil and Amir Yamin are other notable absentees.

I don't see any point in carrying Fahim, he hasn't improved an inch and for that reason, there's no justification for his place.

Azam Khan should also have been tried for the Shaheens.

Some positive steps but then there's also so many hit and miss selections here.

 

[Shoaibbtt]

This is finally a brilliantly picked squad!!!!!

 

[Majid Khan]

If you are going to go with huge squads and we all know at least 10 names in that list will barely get a game, then might as well announce a squad of 50 , and include Ahmed Shezad, Kamran Akmal, Junaid Khan, Shoaib Malik , Rahat Ali, Ehsan Adil, Umar Akmal and Saleem Elahi too if he’s still playing these days - keep everyone happy..

 

[Kaddy]

Malik as well.

Oh Yes, I didn't notice............

World is coming to the end.

 

[Square Drive]

No Malik, no Shafiq. Amazing!

Saud is a horrible miss. How do you ignore him?

Good to see the days of Kashif, Bilal etc are gone and we're finally prioritizing the likes of Gohar.

Good to see Amad in there. Naseem, Haris Sohail have also recovered.

Amir seems to be history.

Sohail Khan is random.

Overall, just dropping Shafiq and Malik has made my day lol.

 

[Shafi]

Good to see Misbah finally get rid of Imran Khan, Malik, Shafiq as well. But Fakhar, Sarfraz, Fahim, Musa and Sohail Khan needs to kicked out. They are finished

 

[Kaddy]

This is finally a brilliantly picked squad!!!!!

Much Much better squad. The only missing name is Saud Shakeel & Perhaps Nauman guy but considering spinners have hardly any role in New Zealand its Ok.

 

[Shafi]

No Malik, no Shafiq. Amazing!

Saud is a horrible miss. How do you ignore him?

Good to see the days of Kashif, Bilal etc are gone and we're finally prioritizing the likes of Gohar.

Good to see Amad in there. Naseem, Haris Sohail have also recovered.

Amir seems to be history.

Sohail Khan is random.

Overall, just dropping Shafiq and Malik has made my day lol.

Amir if finished with no commitment. Good to see Malik, Imran K, Shafiq, Khasif, Bilal dropped. We should get rid of Sarfraz, useless Fahim and Musa and out of form Fakhar.

 

[kingusama92]

Shafiq gone?

 

[ameemlutfi]

This is a combined shaheen and national squad for all the various formats. The number was capped at 35 as per agreement with nz. I think with the t20 worldcup in mind most of the shaheen players are picked with the shorter format in mind , hence no saud shakeel and noman . Iftikhars selection is questionable but he did have great tour to Australia so I can see the logic . Had sharjeel performed a little better fakhar would have been dropped, but despite his failure against zim he was still the best opener in the national t20 . Zahid can feel hardone but after winning the mos usman couldnt have been dropped . Yamin though should have been picked over fahim . Maybe saud over imran butt . Overall, well thought out squad.

 

[Major]

good squad

 

[shah_1]

No Saud Shakeel

Letdown

 

[Shafi]

How did I miss Iftikhar? How this guy keep selected after so many failures.

 

[Shafi]

good squad

Much better squad.
But Fakhar, Sarfraz, Fahim, Iftikhar,Musa and Sohail Khan (lack of fitness) shouldn't be selected.
Sorry for Saud. Most likely he will be another Fawad.

 

[Afhan Ali]

Is this Pakistan shaheen team as well?

 

[Major]

How did I miss Iftikhar? How this guy keep selected after so many failures.

Iftikhar cant be dropped for now.

The clean hitter spot will either go to Khsuhdil Shah or Iftikhar. Iftikhar hasn't performed, but will still be considered.

Khushdil shah has become first preference now. If he shows consistency in performance than Iftikhar would be gone

 

[Major]

mods add title aswell, Azhar Ali removed from Test captaincy

 

[Shafi]

Iftikhar cant be dropped for now.

The clean hitter spot will either go to Khsuhdil Shah or Iftikhar. Iftikhar hasn't performed, but will still be considered.

Khushdil shah has become first preference now. If he shows consistency in performance than Iftikhar would be gone

Fakhar is out of form so as Sarfraz, Fahim and Musa are not good enough and Sohail Khan has fitness problem.

 

[shaz619]

[MENTION=9]Saj[/MENTION] [MENTION=53290]Markhor[/MENTION] Any word on the UK broadcaster for this tour? I think it should be Sky Sports given they have the license for NZ cricket, that would be great if confirmed

 

[shaz619]

A balanced squad, great to see no Shafiq for once. A few usual suspects still there but overall nice to see some fresh talent, fans shouldn't place high expectations however given the lack of experience / rebuilding phase

 

[Square Drive]

Ahh okay so it seems Saud, like Nauman, Sajid, and Zahid can't be picked because he wasn't part of the provisional list of 45. That makes me slightly more hopeful for his selection for our next assignment.

However, the fact that they didn't even consider him in a list of 45 is a travesty in itself lol. Hopefilly this 174 gets him noticed for next time, especially after Fawad (now a sure starter) flops or Haris inevitably gets injured for the 46264th time.

For now though, it seems like Talat is next in the pecking order as far as middle-order batsmen are considered for Tests.

 

[Mamoon]

PCB is holding a grudge against Amir. Unless he gets on his knees and begs, he will probably not get selected again.

They say we want youth but they keep dragging Wahab and Sohail Khan who is dead after one spell.

 

[Ahson8]

Can't believe they snubbed Saud.

 

[saeed5646]

The most frustrating part is Misbah didn't even mentioned saud name but at the same time selected his buddy imran butt whose first class average is 39 while saud has close to 47

 

[PakPremi]

Sohail K is still one of the best and experienced bowler in Pakistan, he is fit enough for white ball cricket. He is also better bowler and batsman than Fahim.
A very good squad except for Fahim and Iftikhar, Saud and Yameen should have been selected instead. Musa needs to be continued with as he is young and has pace and good attitude to develop.

 

[saeed5646]

Saud shakeel is our emerging team captain but still cannot find a place in 35 member squad

 

[Omer2002]

Guys if you read the article...shaheen squad will be from.above players ..

Also it said nz govt needed players name by october so actually this squad was named a month ago when first class never started

 

[Shafi]

PCB is holding a grudge against Amir. Unless he gets on his knees and begs, he will probably not get selected again.

They say we want youth but they keep dragging Wahab and Sohail Khan who is dead after one spell.

Amir is lack of passion now-a-days with inspiration and too busy to play in franchise leagues. We need someone with dedication. Besides he is finished.

 

[Fahdi]

It's the fast bowling lineup that worries me, specifically for the Test matches.

Don't expect too much from Abbas, the guy has shown no drive to improve on his strength and athleticism. With his declining pace he seems to have no counter for batsmen standing outside the crease unless the pitches have subcontinent and UAE level of bounce.

Shaheen has the most potential but there's no indication that he has been able to improve on his deficiencies in Test bowling. He hasn't featured in any FC matches since the England tests as well.

All in all I imagine another abysmal bowling performance in the test matches unless we get to bowl on a grassy pitch with a shiny new cherry. Those conditions won't last the entire match anyway.

 

[Rana]

Weird reasoning to drop Amir. There are some Chachus in the fast bowling department. Also how is Amir any worse than Musa and Faheem?

 

[Square Drive]

Can't believe they snubbed Saud.

It's because of the list of 45 they had to submit previously.

The fact that he wasn't on that though, coupled with the fact that Misbah didn't even mention his name is a different matter and is nothing short of a travesty.

 

[Sher Khan]

PCB is holding a grudge against Amir. Unless he gets on his knees and begs, he will probably not get selected again.

They say we want youth but they keep dragging Wahab and Sohail Khan who is dead after one spell.

Misbah spells out why in the press release. They want to "invest in players available for all formats". Amir has shot himself in the foot by retiring from tests at 27. Also, Sohail Khan is the best new-ball bowler in Pakistan.

 

[Hasan123]

Saud Shakeel should have been in the squad.

 

[QalandarFan]

PCB is holding a grudge against Amir. Unless he gets on his knees and begs, he will probably not get selected again.

They say we want youth but they keep dragging Wahab and Sohail Khan who is dead after one spell.

Exactly! It's so stupid, he's easily our best T20I bowler, and needs to be apart of the World T20 Squad.

 

[QalandarFan]

I was shocked when Misbah was announcing middle order names and didn't mention Asad's name! ) At long last, gotta say though looking at Misbah he seemed pretty sad if it was solely up to him Asad would have been apart of the squad.

 

[JibranAnsari]

yet to find a sense in picking muhammad musa? What does anyone see in him?

is this because he was part of islamabad united?

 

[JibranAnsari]

Biggest disappointment is not picking up saud shakeel , his good years are passing by.

 

[NauV]

Glad Asad Shafiq was dispensed with - liability for too long! However, Azhar Ali's record over the past couple of years overseas has actually been worse than Asad. Azhar Ali saved himself by scoring that century in England! However, I hope that it's a wake up call for him too . . can't carry liabilities on the basis of experience

 

[KingOfPakBreakfast]

A few points on the squad:

I think it's a decent squad with some interesting elements

1) Clearly, Zeeshan Malik is being groomed to take over from Fakhar for the t20 opening slot ;

2) Haider as Shaheens captain is actually a really good shout. Giving a young lad leadership experience will help mold him into a future captaincy prospect ;

3) Danish Aziz picked so early (guaranteed for the Shaheens) shows how desperate we are for finishers ;

4) Similarly, Amad Butt being picked shows how much we need that bowling all-rounder ;

5) Remember that the next squad will be picked by the new selector, with suggestions on this forum being that it may be Mohammad Akram. Thus there may be further churn in the following series ;

6) This squad still has Azhar, Fawad and Ifti, who shouldn't make it to 2022. So more spots available ;

7) In the Zim squad announcement press conference, Misbah mentioned that Sharjeel, Azam Khan Zeeshan Ashraf would all be considered once they meet fitness standards, so these are the names to watch out for in future squads ;

8) For Saud fans, it may seem harsh, but he has to take this as motivation. He now needs to pile on the runs and finish top scorer in the QEA trophy, so that he can atleast replace Azhar in the squad over time , and ;

9) Amir, on current form, doesn't warrant inclusion. He really needs to go away, and work on strength and conditioning, wrist position and rhythm. It's absolutely not over for him, but he now needs to put the hard yards in to make his case.

 

[Mobashir]

Does anyone know when they will announce Shaheen Squad?

What are the Shaheen's scheduled to play in NZ? How many games?

 

[Mobashir]

Amir is lack of passion now-a-days with inspiration and too busy to play in franchise leagues. We need someone with dedication. Besides he is finished.

Passion or no passion he is the best limited over bowler in Pakistan.
He was way better than others in last years world cup. He will always be better maybe bar Shaheen who is improving.

In the coming PSL matches, he will outbowl others pacers again.

 

[zain7077]

Satisfied with the selections overall. But Saud being in neither the Pak Squad OR Shaheens is really a huge let down. However getting rid of asad and malik sort of make up for it but only if Saud debuts at home against SA. a big if that.

 

[angrypathan]

Saud Shakeel is the only glaring omission, would have been an almost perfect squad if he was there and Musa Khan wasn't. Still a pretty good one. Asad Shafiq, after 70+ tests, finally gets the axe, about 3 years too late but better late than never. Sohail Khan is a dumb selection, very skilful but way too old now. Zeeshan Malik I guess deserves his spot on past domestic performances, but his current form in the QeA trophy has been pretty disappointing.

 

[in_cutter]

Passion or no passion he is the best limited over bowler in Pakistan.
He was way better than others in last years world cup. He will always be better maybe bar Shaheen who is improving.

In the coming PSL matches, he will outbowl others pacers again.

No he is not the best...Shaheen says hi. Amir is done.. no longer looks interested.

 

[Third Man]

I don't know what Saud Shakil has to do to get selected. He's already 25. Surely you could've selected him instead of anyone of Iftikhar, Sarfaraz, or even Talat.

I remember he was singled out by Inzimam as someone being considered for the national team in one of his squad announcements for Pakistan A or some emerging team. It's been like three years since. It's an injustice. He deserves it and we're wasting his prime.

 

[CHETAH]

It Only took One hundred for Donald Abdullah at 55m Boundaries to get Cap .

Tells You All that is Wrong with Pakistanis

Zeeshan Malik was being waited 6 months and He still will only get a game with Shaheens

 

[Third Man]

Fahim Ashraf is a nothing player. Amir Yameen can at least swing the new ball and is a much better batsman than tailender Fahim.

Musa is not good enough and probably never will be. Akif Javed isn't available so I would've gone for some seasoned domestic red-ball bowler instead.

Iftikhar is ancient, and shouldn't be in our plans for the 2023 world cup. Azam khan is a much better investment and a real hitter with a decent technique. They should keep him around the setup even if he's not ready fitness-wise. Should work with him on that.

We should move on from Sarfaraz. Rizwan and Rohail are the future.

But overall, considering Misbah's record, it's a good squad. The fact that I only have issues with 5 selections/omissions in a squad of 35, is a big change.

 

[zain7077]

It Only took One hundred for Donald Abdullah at 55m Boundaries to get Cap .

Tells You All that is Wrong with Pakistanis

Zeeshan Malik was being waited 6 months and He still will only get a game with Shaheens

Donald Abdullah?

 

[SensiblePakFan]

Guys, amir will have a good psl next year and will 100% be in the World T20 squad, relax.

 

[Third Man]

Passion or no passion he is the best limited over bowler in Pakistan.
He was way better than others in last years world cup. He will always be better maybe bar Shaheen who is improving.

In the coming PSL matches, he will outbowl others pacers again.

No, he's become a 130k trundler with no energy. And if he keeps this up, he'll get worse. We have a few young bowlers now, and the focus should be to keep working on their progress.

 

[Kroll]

Asad Shafiq dropped? What am I reading?!

 

[moghul]

Dropping Amir must be on personal basis , does not make sense to drop him for ODI and T20. He is still better than all other except Shaheen Afridi.

Just 35, why not select everybody , keep everyone happy.

 

[the Great Khan]

so PPers still find something to complain about..This is one of the most promising squads Ive seen in a while and clearly shows that our new structure seems to be functioning. This will get better in the next few seasons. There is some clear long term thinking and that must be applauded. Wasim khan really needs some credit for getting the domestic cricket onto tv screens so now the selectors cant moan about not being able to go to every match like Iqbal qasim and bari used to moan..

But well ppers just cant help it..yay player nahin hay vo player nahin hay..au bhai, hur player team main nahin ho sakta..

As for this obsession with Yamin..please..he is mediocre. i would have faheem over him any day of the week.

Im still waiting for another pper to complain that U-Amin with his one cover drive isnt included..

we finally give Malik shahenshah the boot after years of mediocrity..this guy should have gone in 2010..

Overall i like this direction.

 

[the Great Khan]

Asad Shafiq dropped? What am I reading?!

the future of Pakistan cricket.

 

[Kroll]

The test fast bowling unit looks incredibly weak, only Shaheen looks decent but even he didn't have a series of note in England.

 

[Markhor]

With Misbah's selections it's always a mixed bag. Thank god Asad Shafiq finally and deservedly gets the boot. May this mental midget never wear the Pakistan cap again.

However, why are Faheem Ashraf and Musa Khan still around ? Faheem has proven to be the most useless cricketer of the last 20 years, equally mediocre with both bat and ball.

Meanwhile Musa has few domestic FC performances to speak of and his height means he has little margin for error with length. Misbah and Waqar are just obsessed with pace like it's still the 90s.

 

[naseem]

Saud probably will be in Saheens squad

 

[Glen Durrant fan]

I would have picked:

Top Order:
Shan Masood (Test)
Abid Ali (Test)
Azhar Ali (Test)
Babar Azam (Test, ODI, T20I)
Sami Aslam (Test)
Imam ul-Haq (ODI)
Kamran Akmal (T20I)
Haider Ali (ODI, T20I)
Fakhar Zaman (ODI)
Abdullah Shafique (T20I)

Middle Order:
Fawad Alam (Test)
Haris Sohail (Test, ODI)
Mohammad Rizwan (Test, ODI, T20I)
Saud Shakeel (Test)
Sarfaraz Ahmed (Test, ODI)
Khushdil Shah (ODI, T20I)
Hussain Talat (ODI)
Mohammad Hafeez (T20I)
Shoaib Malik (T20I)

Spinners:
Nauman Ali (Test)
Yasir Shah (Test)
Imad Wasim (ODI, T20I)
Shadab Khan (ODI, T20I)
Usman Qadir (ODI, T20I)

Pacers:
Shaheen Afridi (Test, ODI, T20I)
Mohammad Abbas (Test)
Naseem Shah (Test)
Sohail Khan (Test)
Wahab Riaz (Test, ODI, T20I)
Haris Rauf (Test, ODI, T20I)
Mohammad Amir (ODI, T20I)
Mohammad Hasnain (ODI, T20I)
Faheem Ashraf (ODI)
Aamer Yamin (T20I)
Sohail Tanvir (T20I)

First XI's:

Test: Masood, Abid, Azhar, Babar (C), Haris, Saud, Rizwan (W), Nauman, Shaheen, Abbas, Naseem.

ODI: Imam, Haider, Babar (C), Haris, Rizwan (W), Shadab, Khushdil, Imad, Wahab, Amir, Shaheen.

T20I: Babar (C), Kamran (W), Haider, Hafeez, Shadab, Khushdil, Imad/Qadir, Wahab, Amir, Shaheen, Rauf.

 

[Kroll]

It's the fast bowling lineup that worries me, specifically for the Test matches.

Don't expect too much from Abbas, the guy has shown no drive to improve on his strength and athleticism. With his declining pace he seems to have no counter for batsmen standing outside the crease unless the pitches have subcontinent and UAE level of bounce.

Shaheen has the most potential but there's no indication that he has been able to improve on his deficiencies in Test bowling. He hasn't featured in any FC matches since the England tests as well.

All in all I imagine another abysmal bowling performance in the test matches unless we get to bowl on a grassy pitch with a shiny new cherry. Those conditions won't last the entire match anyway.

I share the same concerns. Abbas has been exposed and Musa, Naseem are still too raw.

Shaheen still finding his way in test cricket. Wahab should play to provide some support to Shaheen but that's unlikely at this stage.

I don't know what's happened to the likes of Sameen Gul and Ehsan Adil, but these are the types of bowlers that should be getting developed for the test squad instead of the likes of Musa.

Misbah going onto to repeat the same mistakes with the bowling and expecting different results, unbelievable.

 

[zain7077]

so PPers still find something to complain about..This is one of the most promising squads Ive seen in a while and clearly shows that our new structure seems to be functioning. This will get better in the next few seasons. There is some clear long term thinking and that must be applauded. Wasim khan really needs some credit for getting the domestic cricket onto tv screens so now the selectors cant moan about not being able to go to every match like Iqbal qasim and bari used to moan..

But well ppers just cant help it..yay player nahin hay vo player nahin hay..au bhai, hur player team main nahin ho sakta..

As for this obsession with Yamin..please..he is mediocre. i would have faheem over him any day of the week.

Im still waiting for another pper to complain that U-Amin with his one cover drive isnt included..

we finally give Malik shahenshah the boot after years of mediocrity..this guy should have gone in 2010..

Overall i like this direction.

Most of us are satisfied with the squad. Saud is just a really big miss but he’ll get his chance soon I’m sure about it. Azam khan once he works on his fitness will be dynamite for our middle order In T20.

 

[Pakpak]

I would have picked:

Top Order:
Shan Masood (Test)
Abid Ali (Test)
Azhar Ali (Test)
Babar Azam (Test, ODI, T20I)
Sami Aslam (Test)
Imam ul-Haq (ODI)
Kamran Akmal (T20I)
Haider Ali (ODI, T20I)
Fakhar Zaman (ODI)
Abdullah Shafique (T20I)

Middle Order:
Fawad Alam (Test)
Haris Sohail (Test, ODI)
Mohammad Rizwan (Test, ODI, T20I)
Saud Shakeel (Test)
Sarfaraz Ahmed (Test, ODI)
Khushdil Shah (ODI, T20I)
Hussain Talat (ODI)
Mohammad Hafeez (T20I)
Shoaib Malik (T20I)

Spinners:
Nauman Ali (Test)
Yasir Shah (Test)
Imad Wasim (ODI, T20I)
Shadab Khan (ODI, T20I)
Usman Qadir (ODI, T20I)

Pacers:
Shaheen Afridi (Test, ODI, T20I)
Mohammad Abbas (Test)
Naseem Shah (Test)
Sohail Khan (Test)
Wahab Riaz (Test, ODI, T20I)
Haris Rauf (Test, ODI, T20I)
Mohammad Amir (ODI, T20I)
Mohammad Hasnain (ODI, T20I)
Faheem Ashraf (ODI)
Aamer Yamin (T20I)
Sohail Tanvir (T20I)

First XI's:

Test: Masood, Abid, Azhar, Babar (C), Haris, Saud, Rizwan (W), Nauman, Shaheen, Abbas, Naseem.

ODI: Imam, Haider, Babar (C), Haris, Rizwan (W), Shadab, Khushdil, Imad, Wahab, Amir, Shaheen.

T20I: Babar (C), Kamran (W), Haider, Hafeez, Shadab, Khushdil, Imad/Qadir, Wahab, Amir, Shaheen, Rauf.

Thankfully you're not our coach. Either youre trolling as otherwise that's one of the worst squads I've seen

 

[b.lesner]

Saud probably will be in Saheens squad

o bhai this is team both for Pakistan and Pakistan shaheens

 

[Khan12]

Rubbish as usual from this shameless clown. Why on earth have the likes of fakhar, Iftikhar, musa, sarfraz, sohail been selected. Why on earth hasn't saud been selected?

 

[wrongun]

Shaheen is playing a mans job at such a young age & is reliable.

Abbas should be suited to NZ conditions actually- NZ had many successful bowlers in a similar pace & style. I think he'll enjoy the Tests.

Who fills out the Test quick bowling spots?

Naseem Shah?

Haris Rauf has hardly even played FC cricket so not him... Not Wahab again surely?

Is Faheem the only seam bowling allrounder?

 

[Ellipsism]

Our test pace attack is **** poor. Another incoming thrashing awaits if we don’t get first use of a green mamba.

 

[Ahson8]

Our test pace attack is **** poor. Another incoming thrashing awaits if we don’t get first use of a green mamba.

You don't rate Shaheen, Nasim and Abbas ?

 

[Shoaibbtt]

You don't rate Shaheen, Nasim and Abbas ?

Don’t know if Naseem is built for tests which is why Sohail Khan is perhaps being selected

 

[Syed1]

Saud Shakeel should try and change his domicile to Lahore if he wants to get selected.

 

[Maliq_Mudasir]

What has Amir done to PCB? He is still our second best fast bowler after Shaheen. This purely reflects the dirty politics PCB is playing.

Also what have we learnt from Zim Series when the likes of Iftikhar, Fakhar and Faheem are still in squad ?

 

[Bewal Express]

Good news- No Asad or Malik
Poor non selection- No Saud

 

[Thunderbolt14]

A few points on the squad:

I think it's a decent squad with some interesting elements

1) Clearly, Zeeshan Malik is being groomed to take over from Fakhar for the t20 opening slot ;

2) Haider as Shaheens captain is actually a really good shout. Giving a young lad leadership experience will help mold him into a future captaincy prospect ;

3) Danish Aziz picked so early (guaranteed for the Shaheens) shows how desperate we are for finishers ;

4) Similarly, Amad Butt being picked shows how much we need that bowling all-rounder ;

5) Remember that the next squad will be picked by the new selector, with suggestions on this forum being that it may be Mohammad Akram. Thus there may be further churn in the following series ;

6) This squad still has Azhar, Fawad and Ifti, who shouldn't make it to 2022. So more spots available ;

7) In the Zim squad announcement press conference, Misbah mentioned that Sharjeel, Azam Khan Zeeshan Ashraf would all be considered once they meet fitness standards, so these are the names to watch out for in future squads ;

8) For Saud fans, it may seem harsh, but he has to take this as motivation. He now needs to pile on the runs and finish top scorer in the QEA trophy, so that he can atleast replace Azhar in the squad over time , and ;

9) Amir, on current form, doesn't warrant inclusion. He really needs to go away, and work on strength and conditioning, wrist position and rhythm. It's absolutely not over for him, but he now needs to put the hard yards in to make his case.

Sensible post. Most people here are overreacting. Squad in general is good minus Saud Shakeel who wasn’t in the list one month ago.