Pakistan T20 squad has seen the return of many of the key players after a young team played Afghanistan in the Gulf led by all-rounder Shadab Khan. Babar Azam will return as the captain while the likes of Mohammad Rizwan, Fakhar Zaman, Shaheen Afridi and Haris Rafhu also got the much-needed rest for the series following a gruelling Pakistan Super League season.
Youngsters Tayyab Tahir, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Shafique Abdullah, and Azam Khan made space for the senior players. Talented top-order batter Saim Ayub and pacers Ihsanullah and Zaman Khan were the notable youngsters to retain their spots. Apart from them, the likes of Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Mohammad Haris, Imad Wasim were also part of the Afghanistan series.
For New Zealand, a notable absence is their star batter Kane Williamson, who hurt himself during the opening match of the IPL. He anyway wasn’t going to play the series due to IPL commitments. Other key players missing out include Tim Southee, Devon Conway, Lockie Ferguson, Finn Allen, and Glenn Phillips, who are also with their respective IPL teams.
This has again allowed the Tom Latham-led side to test their squad strength and give exposure to youngsters, including debut opportunities for the likes of Ben Lister and Cole McConchie. Chad Bowes, Rachin Ravindra, and Henry Shipley, who debuted during the Sri Lanka series at home, have been given further opportunities. In fact, only nine of their players have experienced playing cricket in Pakistan in the past.
The likes of Matt Henry, Adam Milne, Daryl Mitchell, Jimmy Neesham, and Henry Nicholls will be playing the senior roles while Pakistan’s Saqlain Mushtaq as assistant to coach Gary Stead.
Pakistan vs New Zealand Live Streaming, Live Broadcast in India
Pakistan vs New Zealand will be played at Lahore’s Gadaffi Stadium in Lahore on Friday. The match will start late at 9:30 PM IST (9:00 PM PKT) with the toss at 9:00 PM. Pakistan vs New Zealand will be Live streaming on the SonyLiv app and JioTV while the Live Telecast will be on SONY SPORTS TEN 5 and SONY SPORTS TEN 5 HD.
