Pakistan's captain Sarfaraz Ahmed (4L) celebrates after taking a catch off the bowling of Pakistan's Shadab Khan (3/L) for the dismissal of New Zealand's captain Kane Williamson during the 2019 Cricket World Cup group stage match between New Zealand and Pakistan at Edgbaston in Birmingham, central England, on June 26, 2019. (Photo by Paul ELLIS / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE
The Pakistan Cricket Board has officially announced a 20-member squad for the team’s upcoming One Day International (ODI) series against New Zealand.
The uncapped wicketkeeper, Mohammad Haris, pacers Mohammad Wasim and Shahnawaz Dahani, and spinner Zahid Mahmood have all received their maiden international call-ups. Middle-order batsmen Iftikhar Ahmed and Khushdil Shah also made the cut after running back a few games against Zimbabwe in April.
While talking to reporters about the team selection ahead of the series, Chief Selector Muhamamd Wasim remarked that the upcoming games are “extremely important” for Pakistan.
“We give opportunities to high-performing players while looking into the future so that we can develop strong bench strength,” he added.
Squad: Babar Azam (C), Shadab Khan (VC), Mohammad Rizwan (WK), Mohammad Haris (WK), Abdullah Shafique, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imam-ul-Haq, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Saud Shakeel, Shaheen Shah, Shahnawaz Dahani, Usman Qadir, Zahid Mehmood.
