Babar Azam & Naseem Shah to Miss National T20 Cup After T20I Snub
Pakistan’s senior players, including Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, Naseem Shah, and Shaheen Shah Afridi, have been left out of the T20I squad for the upcoming series against New Zealand. Following their omission, Babar and Naseem are also set to miss the National T20 Cup, which begins on March 14, due to their hectic international schedule.
Pakistan Revamps T20I Squad After Champions Trophy Failure
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has made significant changes to the T20I squad following the team’s disastrous ICC Champions Trophy 2025 campaign. As defending champions and tournament hosts, Pakistan failed to win a single match, suffering losses to New Zealand and India, while their match against Bangladesh was washed out. This disappointing performance led to major shakeups in the squad.
Pakistan’s White-Ball Series vs New Zealand
Pakistan is set to play a five-match T20I series followed by a three-match ODI series against New Zealand, starting March 16. PCB has announced a new-look T20I squad, excluding several senior players based on their recent form.
Babar & Naseem to Miss National T20 Cup
The National T20 Cup, starting March 14, features 20 teams divided into four groups, with several top domestic players in action. Initially, Babar Azam and Naseem Shah were expected to participate, but they have now withdrawn due to their commitments with the national team in the ODI series and the upcoming Pakistan Super League (PSL).
Pakistan’s Squads for New Zealand Series
T20I Squad:
Salman Ali Agha (Captain), Shadab Khan (Vice-Captain), Abdul Samad, Abrar Ahmed, Haris Rauf, Hasan Nawaz, Jahandad Khan, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Haris, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Omair Bin Yousaf, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufyan Moqim, Usman Khan.
ODI Squad:
Mohammad Rizwan (Captain), Salman Ali Agha (Vice-Captain), Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Akif Javed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Imam-ul-Haq, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Sufyan Moqim, Tayyab Tahir. (A wicketkeeper-batter will be added after the T20I series.)
With major squad changes and key players missing the domestic tournament, all eyes will be on Pakistan’s new-look T20I team as they take on New Zealand in the upcoming series.
