PCB Appoints Salman Ali Agha As New T20 Captain Of Pakistan For New Zealand Tour

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced new skipper for the upcoming series with New Zealand. Salman Ali Agha will lead the T20I team, while Mohammad Rizwan continues as the ODI captain. The selectors have introduced new talent from domestic cricket, including three uncapped players in the T20I squad: Abdul Samad, Hasan Nawaz, and Mohammad Ali.
Key Squad Changes and Player Updates

In the ODI lineup, Akif Javed and Mohammad Ali have been included. However, openers Fakhar Zaman and Saim Ayub are absent due to medical reasons. Fakhar is healing from a left lower intercostal muscle sprain, while Saim is recovering from a fractured right ankle sustained during the South Africa tour. Aqib Javed will continue as the interim head coach for this series.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is actively searching for a permanent head coach and aims to finalise a candidate by the end of the New Zealand series. Meanwhile, Mohammad Yousuf has joined as the batting coach for this tour. The support staff includes Naveed Akram Cheema as team manager and Azhar Mahmood as assistant coach.
Squad Details and Tour Schedule

The T20I squad comprises 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 and Usman Khan.

For ODIs, the squad includes 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 and Tayyab Tahir.

Pakistan's Tour Of New Zealand Tour Schedule

The New Zealand tour schedule includes five T20Is starting on 16 March at Hagley Oval in Christchurch followed by matches on 18 March at University Oval in Dunedin; 21 March at Eden Park in Auckland; 23 March at Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui; concluding with Sky Stadium in Wellington on 26 March. The ODI series begins on 29 March at McLean Park in Napier with subsequent games on 2 April at Seddon Park in Hamilton and 5 April back at Bay Oval.