Pakistan Tour of New Zealand: Babar-Rizwan omitted from T20Is squad as Agha takes captaincy; Shaheen excluded from ODIs squad

Pakistan have made significant changes to their T20 squad, dropping Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam for the upcoming series in New Zealand. Shadab Khan makes a return to the squad and has been appointed vice-captain, while Salman Agha will lead the team in Rizwan's absence. The ODI squad sees Rizwan retaining his captaincy, but Shaheen Afridi has been left out. Pakistan are aiming to find the right combination for success following their disappointing exit from the Champions Trophy.

Mohammad Haris returns after an extended spell out of the national side, while Saim Ayub remains absent with the ankle injury he picked up in South Africa. Hasan Nawaz, the 22-year old wicketkeeper who has played just 21 T20s and is yet to feature in the PSL, is in the squad. Abdul Samad, the 27-year big-hitting batter who is also yet to play PSL cricket, comes in after a positive domestic T20 tournament showing. Quetta Gladiators batter Omair Yousuf earns a call-up as Pakistan pivot sharply away from batters with an established T20I pedigree.

Khushdil Shah returns to the T20I squad too

•

ICC/Getty Images

There are fewer changes in the bowling department, with the make-up roughly the same as it was for Pakistan's recent T20I series in South Africa. Naseem Shah, who last played T20Is against Australia in November, remains absent while Shaheen Afridi and Haris Rauf are part of the squad. Spinners Sufiyaan Muqeem and Abrar Ahmed retain their places, while Khushdil Shah comes into the side.

Related

Dissecting Pakistan downfall: What's the way ahead?

Fakhar Zaman dismisses retirement talk, expects to be back 'within the month'

While Aaqib Javed did not officially say this was the end of Rizwan as T20I captain, it appears very much on the cards after an unhappy, if brief, stint in the role. He led Pakistan as full-time captain in just five completed T20Is, losing all of them. He was absent for the three T20Is in Zimbabwe, with Agha leading the team in their 2-1 series win.

Babar's absence, too, suggests Pakistan are once more trying to break free of the Babar-Rizwan combination at the top of the order. The duo up top have polarised opinion almost as soon as the combination was set up in 2020. Critics have panned them for being too-risk averse at the start of the innings, but their reliability and consistency of run accumulation, set in contrast against an oft-misfiring middle order, has seen Pakistan continue to return to them.

The ODI squad doesn't include such drastic changes, except for the omission of Shaheen. He was Pakistan's best bowler in their ODI series wins in South Africa and Australia. Rizwan retains the ODI captaincy and Babar is in the squad, while Abdullah Shafique returns after being dropped for the Champions Trophy as does Sufiyaan Muqeem. Left-arm quick Akif Javed earns a maiden ODI squad selection.

Pakistan play five T20Is in New Zealand starting March 16, followed by three ODIs.

Pakistan T20I squad: Hassan Nawaz, Omair Yousuf, Mohammad Haris Abdul Samad, Salman Ali Agha (capt), Irfan Niazi, Khushdil Shah, Shadab Khan Abbas Afridi, Jahandad Khan, Mohammad Ali, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf, Sufiyaan Muqeem, Abrar Ahmed, Usman Khan

Pakistan ODI squad: Mohammad Rizwan (capt), Salman Ali Agha, Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Akif Javed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Imam-ul-Haq, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Irfan Niazi, Naseem Shah, Sufiyan Muqeem, Tayyab Tahir.