PAK v NZ 2022-23: Pakistan announces 16-man squad for New Zealand ODIs; three uncapped players named

Pakistan to play three ODIs vs New Zealand in Karachi starting Jan 9.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), on Thursday, January 5, 2023, named a 16-man Pakistan squad for the three-match ODI series against New Zealand that begins on January 9 in Karachi. All three matches will be played in Karachi itself, which hosted both Tests as well.

Uncapped batter Tayyab Tahir and wrist spinner Usama Mir have been named in the squad after producing stellar performances in the Pakistan Cup, while Shan Masood and Haris Sohail have been recalled after missing out on ODI cricket since 2019 and 2020, respectively.

Kamran Ghulam, who is part of the Test squad, has also been included in the ODI side for the first time.

Pacer Haris Rauf, who was injured on his Test debut against England, has regained full fitness and has been named in the line-up. However, Shadab Khan, who suffered a finger injury in BBL, was not considered for selection.

Shaheen Shah Afridi was also not included in the Pakistan squad, though he is making good progress, after consulting the medical panel. He is expected to return to competitive cricket next month in the HBL Pakistan Super League 8.

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Shahid Afridi, Interim Chief Selector said: “We had limited ODI cricket last year, and this year, we are scheduled to play 11 ODIs before we participate in the ACC Asia Cup, followed by the World Cup in conditions that will be familiar to us. So, we aim to make optimum use of these 11 ODIs by providing opportunities to our consistent performers that will enable us to select the best available players for the two important tournaments.

In this background, we have decided to recall experienced Haris Sohail and Shan Masood as we believe the two lads still have plenty to offer to Pakistan cricket. We have not only rewarded Tayyab Tahir and Usama Mir for their outstanding performances in our domestic events, they have also been identified as future prospects. These four players, along with Kamran Ghulam, have good knowledge of our conditions and have the talent and potential to excel at the highest level.”

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“I am pleased Fakhar Zaman and Haris Rauf have regained complete fitness and though we will miss Shadab Khan and Shaheen Shah Afridi in this series, their absence will provide Mohammad Wasim Junior, Naseem Shah, Shahnawaz Dahani, and Usama Mir to step up and demonstrate what they are actually capable of,” he added.

Apart from injured Shadab Khan and Shaheen Shah Afridi, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Haris, and Zahid Mehmood, who played in Netherlands ODIs, were also not considered for New Zealand ODIs.

Pakistan’s ODI squad:

Babar Azam (captain), Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Haris Sohail, Imam-ul-Haq, Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Naseem Shah, Salman Ali Agha, Shahnawaz Dahani, Shan Masood, Tayyab Tahir and Usama Mir

(PCB inputs)