NZ vs PAK: Babar Azam named Test captain, to lead 35-man party
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Wednesday announced a 35-man squad for the upcoming New Zealand tour. PCB has also named limited-overs captain Babar Azam as Pakistan’s full-time Test skipper.
Babar takes over Test captaincy duties from Azhar Ali, who last led Pakistan in England earlier this year. Following a meeting with Ali on Tuesday (November 10), PCB Chairman Ehsan Mani confirmed Babar’s appointment.
“Babar Azam was identified at a very young age as a future leader and as part of his progression and development, he was appointed white-ball captain last year,” Mani said.
“With his consistent performance and leadership skills, he has demonstrated that he is ready to take on the additional responsibilities of a captain,” he added.
Pakistan are set to play a three-match T20 series against New Zealand from December 18-22. The T20Is will be followed by two Test matches, the first of which will be played on Boxing Day (December 26) in Mount Maunganui.
“I feel truly honoured to have been appointed Test captain and join some of the most iconic players who have captained Pakistan in the purest format of the game and can now say with conviction that dreams can come true only if you chase them with honesty, dedication and commitment.
“I want to thank Azhar Ali for the way he captained the team in the last season, which was a difficult one, but I know that he will leave no stone unturned in giving his very best to the team,” Babar said.
Notable absentees
The PCB has named Mohammad Rizwan as Babar’s Test deputy after his improved performance in the UK this summer. Shadab Khan will be the vice-captain in the T20I format. Meanwhile, Asad Shafiq, Shoaib Malik and Mohammad Amir are some of the notable absentees in the squad. The Babar-led party also features five uncapped players – Zeeshan Malik, Danish Aziz, Imran Butt, Rohail Nazir and Amad Butt.
“The matches in New Zealand are critical for us as we aim to improve our T20I rankings and also gain valuable points in the ICC World Test Championship. In this background and taking into consideration recent player performances, we have selected the best available players,” head coach Misbah-ul-Haq said in a PCB statement.
Full Pakistan squad: Abid Ali, Abdullah Shafique, Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Shan Masood, Zeeshan Malik, Babar Azam (c), Azhar Ali, Danish Aziz, Fawad Alam, Haider Ali, Haris Sohail, Hussain Talat, Imran Butt, Iftikhar Ahmed, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Hafeez, Mohammad Rizwan, Rohail Nazir, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Shadab Khan, Usman Qadir, Yasir Shah, Zafar Gohar, Amad Butt, Faheem Ashraf, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Hasnain, Musa Khan, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Afridi, Sohail Khan, Wahab Riaz.
