Pakistan batter Haider Ali revealed why he was left out of the squad for the upcoming tour of New Zealand. Speaking during an on-air interview, Haider revealed, “Due to a hand injury, I am not in the squad for the New Zealand tour. The selectors had a chat with me.”
The young batter’s absence comes as Pakistan continues preparations for the tour, with selectors focusing on building a competitive squad.
Haider Ali was among 25 players who participated in the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) recently concluded Strike-Force Camp. The 90-day camp, led by former all-rounder Abdul Razzaq, focused on improving power-hitting skills, a key area of development for Pakistan’s T20 squad.
The camp is part of the PCB’s broader strategy to strengthen the national T20 team by introducing fresh talent and addressing gaps in performance. According to sources, the PCB aims to complete this transition within a year.
The national men’s team is scheduled to depart for New Zealand on Wednesday morning for the tour, which includes five T20 Internationals (T20Is) and three One Day Internationals (ODIs). The matches will take place between March 16 and April 5 across various venues in New Zealand.
Pakistan Squad for Tour of New Zealand
| T20 | ODI |
|---|---|
| Salman Ali Agha (captain) | Mohammad Rizwan (c) (wk) |
| Shadab Khan (vice-captain) | Salman Ali Agha (vc) |
| Abdul Samad | Abdullah Shafique |
| Abrar Ahmed | Abrar Ahmed |
| Haris Rauf | Babar Azam |
| Hasan Nawaz | Faheem Ashraf |
| Jahandad Khan | Imam-ul-Haq |
| Khushdil Shah | Khushdil Shah |
| Mohammad Abbas Afridi | Tayyab Tahir |
| Mohammad Ali | Mohammad Ali |
| Mohammad Haris | Naseem Shah |
| Muhammad Irfan Khan | Muhammad Irfan Khan |
| Omair Bin Yousaf | Mohammad Wasim Jnr |
| Shaheen Shah Afridi | Sufiyan Muqeem |
| Sufiyan Muqeem | Akif Javed |
| Usman Khan |
