All-rounder Shadab Khan will lead the national cricket team for the upcoming T20 series against Afghanistan, as skipper Babar Azam has been given a short break to ‘strategically manage his workload’.
While addressing the media, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Management Committee chairman, Najam Sethi, said that Babar Azam along with wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan, pacer Shaheen Afridi and Fakhar Zaman will rest during short three-match tour.
“I want to congratulate Shadab Khan on his appointment as the Pakistan team captain for the series against Afghanistan,” said Najam Sethi, adding that Khan has been the Pakistan vice-captain in white-ball cricket for the past couple of years and it is logical that he takes over the side in the absence of Babar Azam.
He added: “For the short Sharjah tour and to ensure continuity, we have also appointed Mohammad Yousuf as the interim head and batting coach. Yousuf has been with the national side since last year as a batting coach and has also been working in the National High Performance Centre”.
Shadab Khan will captain the side that includes four uncapped players, namely, Ihsanullah, Saim Ayub, Tayyab Tahir and Zaman Khan, while Abdullah Shafique, Azam Khan, Faheem Ashraf and Imad Wasim have been recalled.
Chair of the selection committee, Haroon Rashid stated: “Babar, Fakhar, Haris, Rizwan and Shaheen have been provided breaks from the short Sharjah trip to allow them to switch-off from competitive cricket so that they can complete their rehabilitations, regroup, recompose and recharge their batteries and be fully fit for the challenges in the tough and challenging 2023-24 season”.
Apart from the Shadab, players retained from the last T20I series are: Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Haris, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Wasim Junior, Naseem Shah and Shan Masood.
The Pakistan cricket selectors named a new-look and highly-talented 15-player squad for the series against Afghanistan, which will be played from 24 to 27 March in Sharjah.
Pakistan squad
Shadab Khan (c), Abdullah Shafique, Azam Khan, Faheem Ashraf, Iftikhar Ahmed, Ihsanullah, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Haris, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Shan Masood, Tayyab Tahir, Zaman Khan.
