Rain Likely To Play Spoilsport In Pakistan, New Zealand T20I Series

Rain is expected to disrupt the five-match T20I series between Pakistan and New Zealand, as reported by Geo News. The series is set to commence on April 18 at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, with all matches scheduled to take place in Rawalpindi. Geo News forecasts rainfall and thunderstorms in the city starting from Tuesday, persisting throughout the week. The New Zealand team arrived in Islamabad on Sunday, ahead of the series.

Ahead of the T20 World Cup 2024, scheduled for June this year, both the New Zealand and Pakistan teams are focused on fine-tuning their squads and evaluating players for the 15-player roster for the prestigious tournament.

Given that many players are currently engaged in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024, New Zealand has appointed experienced all-rounder Michael Bracewell as the captain for the tour. Bracewell, who has not played an international match since March last year, recently returned to domestic cricket following injury setbacks, including a ruptured Achilles and a broken finger.

Meanwhile, Pakistan will be led by Babar Azam, who was recently reinstated as the captain for the white-ball format, replacing Shaheen Afridi.

The return of star pacer Mohammad Amir and all-rounder Imad Wasim, who both reversed their retirements, has created a buzz in cricket circles as they have been included in Pakistan’s squad, marking sensational comebacks to the sport.

For the upcoming five-match series, former fast bowler Azhar Mahmood has been appointed as the head coach. Wahab Riaz will serve as the senior team manager, while Mohammad Yousuf has been named the batting coach. Saeed Ajmal, who previously served as the bowling coach during tours of Australia and New Zealand, will continue in his role as the spin bowling coach.

Pakistan will be eager to avenge their 4-1 T20I series defeat against the Blackcaps earlier this year, which occurred on New Zealand soil.

Here are the squads for both teams in the upcoming five-match T20I series:

Pakistan:
– Babar Azam (c)
– Abrar Ahmed
– Azam Khan
– Fakhar Zaman
– Iftikhar Ahmed
– Imad Wasim
– Mohammad Abbas Afridi
– Mohammad Rizwan
– Mohammad Amir
– Irfan Niazi
– Naseem Shah
– Saim Ayub
– Shadab Khan
– Shaheen Afridi
– Usman Khan
– Zaman Khan
– Usama Mir