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PCB Rests Babar Rizwan and Shaheen for Afghanistan Series. Najam Sethi, chair of the Pakistan Cricket Board Management Committee, stated on. Monday that young players who had excelled in the Pakistan Super League will be give a chance before. The roster for the T20 series with Afghanistan was announce (PSL).
He declared that vice-captain of the white-ball squad Shadab Khan will head the 15-player side.
PCB Rests Babar Rizwan and Shaheen
I’d like to extend my congratulations to Shadab Khan for being name captain of the. Pakistani team for the series against Afghanistan. The short three-match T20I tour of Sharjah will be led by Shadab Khan. Who has served as Pakistan’s vice-captain in white-ball cricket for the last few years, the. PCB management committee chief announced, flanked by PCB Selection Committee chairperson Haroon Rashid, during a news conference in Lahore.
The team, which includes four uncapped players—Ihsanullah, Saim Ayub, Tayyab Tahir, and. Zaman Khan—will be captaine by all-rounder Shadab Khan. Azam Khan, Abdullah Shafique, Faheem Ashraf, and Imad Wasim have been summone back to the squad.
According to Sethi, selectors took into consideration the workloads and upcoming series of. Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Rizwan, and Shaheen Shah Afridi.
Babar and Rizwan have essentially been travelling for the past 15 months, while Fakhar. Haris, and Shaheen have struggled with ailments, according to the PCB’s statement.
Babar played in 10 Tests, 12 ODIs, 26 T20Is, and 19 PSL matches, the board states, while. Rizwan participated in 8 Tests, 11 ODIs, 25 T20Is, 22 PSL games, and a few BPL games. According to the PCB, Haris has participated in one Test, ten ODIs, 23 T20Is, and 23 PSL games.
Asif Ali, Haider Ali, Mohammad Hasnain, and Khushdil Shah have all been cut from the roster for the series. Which will be contest in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, from March 24 to 27.
The board has also selected Mohammad Yousuf as the interim head coach and batting coach for the brief. Sharjah tour, according to Sethi, in order to maintain consistency. Yousuf has been a batting instructor for the national team since last year. And has also been employed by the National High Performance Center.
Players from the previous T20I series who were kept on include Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Haris. Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Wasim Junior, Naseem Shah, and Shan Masood in addition to Shadab.
Rashid commented on the team’s selection for the upcoming series with Afghanistan, saying. “For the short three-T20I series against Afghanistan, the selection committee has followed the. Standard rotation policy by resting the leading performers and giving high-performing domestic performers opportunities to demonstrate their talent and potential at the international level.
He continued by saying that by doing this, the board will be able to assess the personalities and skills of the players and establish a stronger player pool in preparation for next year’s T20 World Cup in the West Indies and the United States.
But, and in doing so, we have ensured that we select a squad that is equally strong and capable of winning the series against a strong Afghanistan side for whom Sharjah is like a second home,” he added adding that the team is genuinely a “combination of youth and experience”.
Rashid explained why the team’s top players were not participating in this series: “Babar, Fakhar, Haris, Rizwan and Shaheen have been provided breaks from the brief Sharjah trip to allow them to switch-off from competitive cricket so that they can complete their rehabilitations, regroup, recompose, and recharge their batteries and be fully fit for the challenges in the tough and challenging 2023–24 season.”
He complimented the PSL players who had made the national team following a string of impressive showings on the local stage. According to Rashid, individuals who have been recalled have proven they can perform well under pressure and offer steadiness and experience on the side.
The PCB reported the following statistics for the uncapped and recalled players: Azam scored 280 runs in nine matches at a strike-rate of almost 163; Saim Ayub scored 309 runs in ten matches at a strike-rate of 167; Tayyab Tahir scored 137 runs in five matches at a strike-rate of 144 after accumulating 413 runs in eleven National T20 matches at a strike-rate of 144; Ihsanullah
In the meantime, Imad scored 404 runs at a strike rate of 170 while Faheem Ashraf scored 210 runs and claimed seven wickets. Abdullah Shafique scored 193 runs in seven PSL matches with a strike rate of 144.
According to the statement, Fakhar and Shaheen have played in 10 and 9 PSL games, respectively, showing that they have made excellent recoveries from their knee ailments.
Yet both of the top players need additional time to finish their recuperations and get back to full match fitness. Injuries to Fakhar’s knees occurred before and during the T20 World Cup.
Although Shaheen missed three months of action in July due to a knee injury sustained during the opening Galle Test. Shaheen did attend the T20 World Cup, but he was absent for the home series against England and New Zealand in December 2022 and January 2023, respectively, the statement said.
Pakistan squad: Shadab Khan (captain), Abdullah Shafique, Azam Khan, Faheem Ashraf, Iftikhar Ahmed, Ihsanullah , Imad Wasim, Mohammad Haris, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Wasim Junior, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Shan Masood, Tayyab Tahir, Zaman Khan.
Reserve players: Abrar Ahmed, Haseebullah, and Usama Mir.
