[VIDEOS/PICTURES] Pakistan tour of New Zealand to play 5-match T20I series (2024)

Is this some kind of joke?

Cheering for NZ to win as a Pakistan win will mean an extension to the team management and the cricket board.
 
Too many openers selected. We’re going to force openers to play out of position and when they fail isn’t their fault.

Saim will probably play at 4. And if he continues to fail don’t know if we’re properly developing him as a player. Haris had the same problem, and now he is dropped.
 
So one of the only genuine modern dynamic batsman they have in their disposal is dropped in the guise of resting, but the pathetic overplayed RizBar farce has been given yet another go!😒

I mean I am not shocked at all seeing the most overhyped pairing of all time getting endless opportunities to statpad against c level bowlers, since Shaheen doesn't have the will or balls to drop his manipulative friends. But what harm did Haris do? Why the hell does a youngster require "workload management" when he is qualified for only one format? Is the ever powerful poisonous clique so jealous so insecured of a young lad who may potentially embarrass & upstage them like last year's wc? I actually feel uneasy for Saim. They may try to ruin him too so that the farce can continue for atleast two more t20 wc cycles.
 
They are looking at Haseebullah khan as a middle order batter..

Omar bin Yousuf would have fit the role on what they are trying out.
 
In what world is Shaheen a bad bowler.
No one performs every game that is unrealistic in any field for any human being.
Think before posting Garbage.
Time will tell. He's been bowling garbage since comeback from injury. He'll soon be dropped because he has superstar mentality and lives in denial
 
Seems like we are heading towards having a pretty similar squad to our last T20 WC squad.

Our bowling lineup will probably be:
Shaheen Shah
Naseem Shah
Rauf
Mohammad Wasim Jr
Shadab Khan

Since Wahab mentioned that Shadab is still in their plans but he got an injury recently and needed to rehab it.

I really hope that Saim Ayub plays and guarantees his spot with some good performers. We probably need another spin all rounder in place of Mohammad Nawaz unless Mohammad Nawaz also finds form again.
 
SSA as a bowler needs to manage his workload but on desires and wishes he is being made another dumb move by PCB ideally he should only play 3 out of 5 t20s v NZ
 
Iftikhar Ahmed is a rubbish selection. Can't play wrist spin to save his life. Also he's way too old and PAK need to develop others in the meantime.

Also, no justification is good enough to drop Mohammad Haris.
 
Time will tell. He's been bowling garbage since comeback from injury. He'll soon be dropped because he has superstar mentality and lives in denial
What denial bro.
Despite being no where near his best he still got 18 or 19 wickets at the WC.
He is a superstar and he should think like that in order to be a match winner again.
Did kohli or smith stop being superstars because they couldn't score runs for a long while.
in kohlis case i think he didnt score a test hundred for 2 or 3 years.
 
Wow I can't believe Haris has been dropped. Absolutely outrageous stuff and that so Haseebullah can be tried? This is beyond ridiculous stuff... what are we doing here? No doubt Haseebullah has potential but he has a 120 SR in domestic and everything suggests he is a player well suited for 50 overs cricket & Test match, not T20's.

Haris is one of the best strikers Pakistan have and one of the few players that can have a great SR and has shown the ability to open or bat anywhere in the lineup. One of the rare players who can go at bowlers from ball 1.

The excuses for "resting" Haris is some insane stuff from Wahab too. He says he wants to try Haseebullah so we have more backup options available. Firstly, you already have 3 WK to select from (Rizwan/Azam/Haris) - so how many do you want? Secondly, if this is a legitimate reason to be believed, why would you not rest Rizwan who plays across formats as a WK. Instead you are resting a player that plays for Pakistan in one format and by resting Rizwan, you at least have more combinations you can try to see what works.

This guy literally just played the T20 WC for us a year ago and was a breath of fresh air. Now he can be "rested" for a player with a 120 SR. Absolutely mind-boggling and truly shocking stuff.

And yet, people wonder why Pakistan is not good enough.
 
Overall good team selection..Babar and rizwan should act as mentors for the series.My playing XI shall be
Sahibzada Farhan
Saim Ayub
Fakhar zaman
Iftikhar
Haseebullah
Azam khan
Nawaz
Jamal
Wasim jnr.
Shaheen
Rouf
 
Most likely line up for WC..

Babar (opener)
Riz (opener)
Fakhar (opener)
Saim (opener)
M Haris (opener)
Iftikhar
Shadab
Wasim
Afridi
Haris
Abrar

Now, they will replace M Haris with one of Azam, Irfan or Haseebullah.
And, Nawaz will come in for Shadab.
 
Rest of the squad seems fine but Farhan seems like another weird pick in the squad. I get it, he had a nice T20 tournament but his career SR in T20's sit at just 128 and almost all the batsmen selected are openers besides Ifti & Azam.

I am not gonna kill the selectors on this because there is virtually no decent middle order options available outside of Ifti & Azam but realistically, I don't see how Farhan is going to open over Saim/Fakhar/Babar/Rizwan.

Pakistan need to shift all these openers they have available internationally & domestically into middle order batsmen depending on their skill set. Players that are great vs spin in domestic should be batting 4-5.
 
Saim
Rizwan/ Farhan
Babar / Fakhar
???Haseebullah
Iftikhar
???Azam
?? Nawaz
Jamal
Wasim
Shaheen
Abrar

Hope they rotate the top 3 around so farhan and Fakhar get a chance.

The problem slots in the team are definitely 4,6 and 7. Basically only Iftikhar is set in the middle/ lower order. Are Haris/ Azam/ Haseebullah the only middle order batters to choose from?
 

Hear ye Hear ye! Shadab Khan would like to remind everyone that he wasn’t dropped and is injured…as the Wazir cannot ever be dropped on performance. He is injured but will start to play 4 day cricket soon.
I fail to understand fitness level of Shadab khan. He is an international cricketer who doesn't play test matches but still he gets injured for 3-4 months after every series
Why he is injury prone so much?
 
I fail to understand fitness level of Shadab khan. He is an international cricketer who doesn't play test matches but still he gets injured for 3-4 months after every series
Why he is injury prone so much?

Most of these players only care about PSL now, easy money.

Same thing that happened to WI cricket is now happening to Pakistan. They don't have the stomach for ODI and tests. They will turn up for T20s.
 
@Saj can you do an interview with Wahab Riaz? He should be specifically asked abt..on what basis Nawaz is again selected in the team, when he has always choked in crunch situations and why is Mehran Mumtaz overlooked / not selected as his backup in a bilateral series? Also why is M Haris rested..instead of Babar/Rizwan?
it will be great if you can arrange interview with Wahab Riaz
 
We need a 160 runs of 120 balls kind of middle order batter. Someone that can last the distance in ODI. Not flash in the pan 25 average T20 batters.
 
bro Harris is not that good. He needs to fix his batting. Selecting him was premature and was going to end up like Haider Ali.

He has potential but doesnt mean you destroy that potential by giving him internatioanl games. Needs to develop abit more in domestic.
What about Haseebullah doesn't he need to develop in domestic abit more.
 
My xi would be

Farhaan
Saim Ayub
Babar
Rizwan
Azam Khan
Iftikhar
Jamal
Abbas Afridi
Shaheen
Abrar
Zaman Khan

Rest fakhar
 
Haris overlooked yet the fraudster Nawaz still stealing a living... boggles the mind!
That aside would like to see this series as a platform for youngsters, allows us to see where we stand before the T20 WC.

Ayub
Farhan
Zaman
Azam Khan
Haseebullah (wk)
Ifti
Jamal
Abbas Afridi
Wasim Jr.
SSA
Abrar

In reality though they will still play the Rizbar duo.
 
It was mind boggling why there are 3 WK batters in the team including Azam, ,Rizwan and Haseebullah and you have left a guy who does not waste time on the crease for these 3 players. Azam might be the other WK who will not waste too much time but haseebullah for Haris was astonishing pick.
 
fakhar
saim
farhan
babar
azam+
ifti
nawaz
jamal
ssa
abrar
wasimjr

let azam do keeping and make everyone chuckle
 
I dont know what is the fuss about this 17 player squad. They selected the best players available in current setup. Lots of youngsters who need to experience the NZ conditions. Babar and rizwan are there to guide these young guns. Look at india, they have even rested Shubman Gill in ODI the no1 ODI batsmen and have played many unknown faces as they have started planning for the next WC.
Here people are going ga ga ga on the non selection of ahmad shahzad
 
bro Harris is not that good. He needs to fix his batting. Selecting him was premature and was going to end up like Haider Ali.

He has potential but doesnt mean you destroy that potential by giving him internatioanl games. Needs to develop abit more in domestic.
Good point actually if he plays more FC cricket his batting will improve more. Having said that he also need regular chance in intl cricket that is where he will learn more than the domestics.
 
I dont know what is the fuss about this 17 player squad. They selected the best players available in current setup. Lots of youngsters who need to experience the NZ conditions. Babar and rizwan are there to guide these young guns. Look at india, they have even rested Shubman Gill in ODI the no1 ODI batsmen and have played many unknown faces as they have started planning for the next WC.
Here people are going ga ga ga on the non selection of ahmad shahzad
Will they get a chance to play. Farhan , Saim , Haseebullah , Abbas , Zaman need to experience the NZ conditions.
 
Nawaz & Iftikhar should have been dropped.
Babar & Rizwan should have been rested.
SSA should not play all 5 T20s
 
What type of selection is it? Where is Kamran Ghulam? On what basis has Azam Khan been selected? What was his performance in the National T20 Cup 2023?
 
I am amazed everybody is talking about Haris. He is no Bradman not proven I dont even rate him. How is it a disaster him not being picked.
 
Whoever they pick, it's not going to have much effect on the outcome of the series. Same trashing overseas.

What is really concerning for me is that Shaheen is consistently playing all forms of cricket since the ODI World Cup in India. After this New Zealand series is over surely he's going to play the full PSL and so on, till it's time for the T20 World Cup in June... so when are we going to give him a break and take care of his fitness and longevity. Is he really a machine?

Have we not learned anything from our neighbors who handle Bumrah, Shami, Siraj and others so well. They hardly play them every series especially when it comes to bilateral white-ball cricket.
 
Whoever they pick, it's not going to have much effect on the outcome of the series. Same trashing overseas.
This is a T20I series. Pakistan won the last Tri Series there and lost 2-1 in the series before that (The Rizwan arc).

Even if Pakistan loses 5-0. It shouldn't be of huge concern. Better to use this opportunity to try our new combinations and give young players chances.
 
Well it's good that Pak side would be testing new youngsters. In this way they could better select a compact squad for the upcoming T20 WC.
 
Wahab constantly answers he is not here to end anyone’s career, people raise this question because of his selection policies

Trying to select Haris rauf in Tests who has no FC cricket experience + back of poor CWC show by him.

It also seems as he carries his personal grudges against players he previously had + the Lahore lobby..

Within 1 month of his appointment so many press cons, throwing Haris rauf under the bus , Salman butt as consultant, now resting Haris , selecting Nawaz lol he has been a laughing stock.
 
@Saj can you do an interview with Wahab Riaz? He should be specifically asked abt..on what basis Nawaz is again selected in the team, when he has always choked in crunch situations and why is Mehran Mumtaz overlooked / not selected as his backup in a bilateral series? Also why is M Haris rested..instead of Babar/Rizwan?
it will be great if you can arrange interview with Wahab Riaz
Both Nawaz, Fahim, Imam or Nauman.. get selected based on Political preferences I guess
 
I don't understand why fans mix formats and start judging a player on one format based on another.

Mohammad Nawaz is in last 10 T20I matches has done alright as an all round spin bowler.

Similarly while Shadab has fallen off in the ODI format. He's still a good T20 player.
 
What is Ifthikhar providing the selectors ? Plates of biryani ? Why is he being selected? They forgot how he performed in the WC ??
 
Mohammad Haris has not played in the national side for quite a long time now. So, what was the logic behind giving him rest for the series and selecting Azam Khan over him? Azam Khan was pathetic in the National T20 Cup 2023. They have added Haseebullah, who is also a wicketkeeper-batsman. So, still, the inclusion of Azam is not justified. Wahab is doing strange things.
 
My ideal line-up:

1. Fakhar Zaman
2. Saim Ayub
3. Mohammad Rizwan (WK)
4. Sahibzada Farhan
5. Iftikhar Ahmed
6. Mohammad Haris
7. Aamer Jamal
8. Abbas Afridi
9. Mohammad Wasim Jnr
10. Shaheen Shah Afridi (C)
11. Abrar Ahmed

12. Kamran Ghulam
13. Qasim Akram
14. Usama Mir
15. Mohammad Imran (Left Arm Medium Fast bowler)
16. Arshad Iqbal
 
I don't understand why fans mix formats and start judging a player on one format based on another.

Mohammad Nawaz is in last 10 T20I matches has done alright as an all round spin bowler.

Similarly while Shadab has fallen off in the ODI format. He's still a good T20 player.
bro, you dont need to change formats to see that Nawaz cant spin the ball and Shadab cant pitch 6 deliveries in one spot.

Shadab and Nawaz get away in T20 cricket due to playing conditions related to fielding and a few varieties. They cant spin the ball to save their lives.

A spinner that bowls accurately and spins the ball will always be preferred over a variety bowler.

Which is why you cannot have a spin attack that has both Nawaz and Shadab. You can carry only one of them. In this case, Nawaz would be preferred because while he cant spin he is still accurate. Shadab cant spin and cant even pitch the ball where wanted.
 
Iftikhar Ahmed is a rubbish selection. Can't play wrist spin to save his life. Also he's way too old and PAK need to develop others in the meantime.

Also, no justification is good enough to drop Mohammad Haris.
They will have to play him if he's in the squad.Haseebullah won't play in the xi so it's a get out card for the captain and the players in the xi.
 
His selection is fair because he won't make the xi whilst Haris would have pushed the captain to play in the xi.

Strike rate of less than 125 seems pretty fair.
 
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Wahab constantly answers he is not here to end anyone’s career, people raise this question because of his selection policies

Trying to select Haris rauf in Tests who has no FC cricket experience + back of poor CWC show by him.

It also seems as he carries his personal grudges against players he previously had + the Lahore lobby..

Within 1 month of his appointment so many press cons, throwing Haris rauf under the bus , Salman butt as consultant, now resting Haris , selecting Nawaz lol he has been a laughing stock.
What Lahore lobby ?. Please elaborate.
 
Let Haris score couple of T20 tons in PSL or National T20 or either get a string of consistent score and we talk about his selection.

Just because a guy can hit couple of lofty shots doesn’t mean he should be in the side , Haris technique is seriously flawed and he needs proper training and a season to get ready
 
bro, you dont need to change formats to see that Nawaz cant spin the ball and Shadab cant pitch 6 deliveries in one spot.

Shadab and Nawaz get away in T20 cricket due to playing conditions related to fielding and a few varieties. They cant spin the ball to save their lives.

A spinner that bowls accurately and spins the ball will always be preferred over a variety bowler.

Which is why you cannot have a spin attack that has both Nawaz and Shadab. You can carry only one of them. In this case, Nawaz would be preferred because while he cant spin he is still accurate. Shadab cant spin and cant even pitch the ball where wanted.
If spin was the main criteria for success. Then guys like Imad wouldn't be in demand in T20 Cricket around the world.

This is why fans should not judge one format's performance with others

Moreover Nawaz's role in the side has always been of that of a bowling all rounder. He has contributed with the bat as well.
 
If spin was the main criteria for success. Then guys like Imad wouldn't be in demand in T20 Cricket around the world.

This is why fans should not judge one format's performance with others

Moreover Nawaz's role in the side has always been of that of a bowling all rounder. He has contributed with the bat as well.
t20 league is domestic, in international your country's best 11 is playing. Best 11 should have a turner
 
Looks like Kane is still not 100 percent fit.

------------------------------

Captain Kane Williamson and bowler Kyle Jamieson have been withdrawn from the BLACKCAPS T20 Squad to face Bangladesh after Christmas.

They will be replaced by Rachin Ravindra and Jacob Duffy, respectively.

The decision to withdraw the pair follows further medical advice and consideration of the team’s upcoming schedule, with a focus on this summer’s Test series against South Africa and Australia.

Williamson will undergo a period of knee rehabilitation and strengthening following his recent return to play in India and Bangladesh.

The advice on Jamieson is that his hamstring injury was best served by a period of targeted rehabilitation leading into February’s Test Series against South Africa.

He will therefore miss the upcoming series against Bangladesh and January’s T20 Series against Pakistan.​
 
I hope everyone espcially the new guys get s good chance in this series. The result of the series should not be important, rather testing the bench strenght, and using different combonations.

Haseebullah although suited more of odi and test is a good player and hope he csn have a good series if given a fair chance

I am still upset about Nawaz and Azam Khan being picked makes no sense
 
I hope everyone espcially the new guys get s good chance in this series. The result of the series should not be important, rather testing the bench strenght, and using different combonations.

Haseebullah although suited more of odi and test is a good player and hope he csn have a good series if given a fair chance

I am still upset about Nawaz and Azam Khan being picked makes no sense

I agree on Haseeb and Nawaz.

But I do like Azam in there. Is he unfit? For sure. But Pak lacks a middle-order impact player in T20's and Azam is the type of guy who can strike from ball one. He also has a good record in the WI in the CPL and so I do want him to get a fair chance ahead of the T20 WC.

He just needs to eat less biryani.
 
I agree on Haseeb and Nawaz.

But I do like Azam in there. Is he unfit? For sure. But Pak lacks a middle-order impact player in T20's and Azam is the type of guy who can strike from ball one. He also has a good record in the WI in the CPL and so I do want him to get a fair chance ahead of the T20 WC.

He just needs to eat less biryani.
My issue with Azam Khan is a few things

In domestic and league cricket he has done well scored runs and hit some massive shots, he plays spin well but can take down pace too however when given the chance in international cricket as a batsman he has done nothing.

Regarding his wicket keeping in international matches he dropped catched and missed chances and is slow behind the stumps, however in domestic and league i have seen him take some good catches as well

If you dont like him as a keeper where can you put him to field

In short his fielding and wicket keeping alone will cost you more games.

Its better to invest in someone who might have lesser ability than him but is more fit


Its a shame because he is talented batsman, if he can work on his fitness he will become a better batsman, be able to run between the wickets better and of course be better behind the stumps
 
My issue with Azam Khan is a few things

In domestic and league cricket he has done well scored runs and hit some massive shots, he plays spin well but can take down pace too however when given the chance in international cricket as a batsman he has done nothing.

Regarding his wicket keeping in international matches he dropped catched and missed chances and is slow behind the stumps, however in domestic and league i have seen him take some good catches as well

If you dont like him as a keeper where can you put him to field

In short his fielding and wicket keeping alone will cost you more games.

Its better to invest in someone who might have lesser ability than him but is more fit


Its a shame because he is talented batsman, if he can work on his fitness he will become a better batsman, be able to run between the wickets better and of course be better behind the stumps
And he is shameless about his fitness. Whenever he has been asked about it, he answers shamelessly, saying, Talk about my form, not fitness. It is clear he is least concerned about his fitness.
 
Let Haris score couple of T20 tons in PSL or National T20 or either get a string of consistent score and we talk about his selection.

Just because a guy can hit couple of lofty shots doesn’t mean he should be in the side , Haris technique is seriously flawed and he needs proper training and a season to get ready
Should the same be applied to Haseebullah,Azam Khan ?
 
What type of selection is it? Where is Kamran Ghulam? On what basis has Azam Khan been selected? What was his performance in the National T20 Cup 2023?
Kamran Ghulam is not a power hitter like Azam khan coming in at 6 and he has plenty of CPL experience which will be useful in the carib.
 
The current best pool of Multi format/ T20 players in pakistan with Shan and Imam more suited to test and Odis in my opinion

Fakhar
Saim
Sharjeel
Babar
Rizwan
Azam K
Ifti
Mubasir
M Nafy
M haris
S Farhan
Q Akram
O Bin Yousuf
Usama Baloch
Aamir Jamal
Shadab
Abrar
Usama Mir
Shaheen
Haris Rauf
Naseem
Ihsanullah
Wasim Jr
Zaman K
Hasan ali
M Hasnain
Arshad Iqbal
Zeeshan Zameer
Faisal Akram
Sufyaan Muqeem
 
The current best pool of Multi format/ T20 players in pakistan with Shan and Imam more suited to test and Odis in my opinion

Fakhar
Saim
Sharjeel
Babar
Rizwan
Azam K
Ifti
Mubasir
M Nafy
M haris
S Farhan
Q Akram
O Bin Yousuf
Usama Baloch
Aamir Jamal
Shadab
Abrar
Usama Mir
Shaheen
Haris Rauf
Naseem
Ihsanullah
Wasim Jr
Zaman K
Hasan ali
M Hasnain
Arshad Iqbal
Zeeshan Zameer
Faisal Akram
Sufyaan Muqeem
You are putting in hassan ali and yet calling it the best pool of players :D
 
My issue with Azam Khan is a few things

In domestic and league cricket he has done well scored runs and hit some massive shots, he plays spin well but can take down pace too however when given the chance in international cricket as a batsman he has done nothing.

Regarding his wicket keeping in international matches he dropped catched and missed chances and is slow behind the stumps, however in domestic and league i have seen him take some good catches as well

If you dont like him as a keeper where can you put him to field

In short his fielding and wicket keeping alone will cost you more games.

Its better to invest in someone who might have lesser ability than him but is more fit


Its a shame because he is talented batsman, if he can work on his fitness he will become a better batsman, be able to run between the wickets better and of course be better behind the stumps

Yes, you make a good point about his keeping and fielding. Our problems would be solved if the PCB just sent him to a boot-camp for 21 days.
 
Still waiting for Misbah and Younis Khan replacements. We should have had a couple of regens by now. Very worrying times.
 
T20 is not that long where you need extra fitness to play. Azam Khan can easily manage in this format and can succeed as well with the bat. He can dominate the spinner and can go big against the Pacers as well. He deserved a chance and he got it. He should cash in now. His wicket-keeping skills are not that bad. I will play him for sure.
 
Yes, you make a good point about his keeping and fielding. Our problems would be solved if the PCB just sent him to a boot-camp for 21 days.
21 boot camp wouldnt be enough he really needs a year to get in normal shape doesnt have to be super fit like kohli, but if he can lose a great amount of fat and build muscle will do him a world of good.
 
Media advisory for T20I series camp

The pre-New Zealand departure camp for the players in Pakistan will commence at the Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore tomorrow. The camp is scheduled to run from 29 December to 3 January, with the team set to depart for Auckland via Dubai from Lahore on Wednesday, 3 January evening.

Abbas Afridi, Azam Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Haseebullah Khan, Iftikhar Ahmed and Sahibzada Farhan will attend the camp.

The Pakistan Cricket Board has also invited nine additional players in the camp. They are: Ahmed Shehzad, Arif Yaqoob, Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Amir Khan, Mohammad Haris, Mohammad Imran, Omair Bin Yousaf, Sajjad Ali Jnr and Shahab Khan. These additional players will be part of the camp for four days and will disperse after training on 1 January to take part in the ongoing President’s Trophy Grade – I.
 
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Day 1 at the Lahore training camp

Pakistan is gearing up for the New Zealand T20I series

IMG-20231229-WA0052.jpgIMG-20231229-WA0055.jpgIMG-20231229-WA0054.jpgIMG-20231229-WA0053.jpg
 
My playing 11
Saim
Rizwan
Fakhar
Babar
Farhan
Iftikhar
Amer Jamal
Shaheen
Rauf
Any two bowlers, doesn't matter who, coz all are bang average..
 
Anyone who puts Rizwan and Babar as an opener over Fakhar should get their heads evaluated.
 
We should experiment in this series and not go out to neccessarily win. It's a meaningless t20 series.

Saim
Rizwan
Babar
Fakhar
Azam Khan (wk)
Chacha
Mohammad Wasim
Usama Mir
Shaheen
Rauf
Zaman Khan

The tail is long but who really cares. We don't have many/any competent all rounders so lets just go all out with specialists imo.
 
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