Former Pakistan captain predicts Pakistan squad for New Zealand tour

Former Pakistan captain Rashid Latif has shared his predictions for the national squad ahead of the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) official announcement for the upcoming limited-overs tour of New Zealand. The squad for the five-match T20I series and three ODIs will be revealed in a media conference on Tuesday at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore. Interim head coach Aqib Javed will disclose the selected players during the event. 

Latif, known for his keen cricket insights, has predicted some key changes for Pakistan’s T20I squad. He suggests that Babar Azam and Naseem Shah will be excluded from the T20I team. In their place, he anticipates that emerging talents and experienced players will be included in the lineup. Latif also expects all-rounder Shadab Khan to lead Pakistan in the T20I series against New Zealand, a decision that would mark a shift in leadership from Mohammad Rizwan.

Among the players Latif has included in his predicted squad are Mohammad Haris, Sufiyan Muqeem, Irfan Khan Niazi, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Abbas Afridi, Jahandad Khan, Abrar Ahmed, Omair Bin Yousuf, Khushdil Shah, Hassan Nawaz, Abdul Samad, Haris Rauf, Usman Khan, Hussain Talat, and Mohammad Ali. Latif also suggested that the PCB might consider appointing Salman Ali Agha as T20I captain to avoid any potential controversy.

For the ODI series, Latif believes the squad will feature a combination of experienced players and emerging stars. He predicts that Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam will retain their places in the ODI squad, with Rizwan continuing as captain. 

The predicted ODI squad according to Latif includes Salman Ali Agha, Mohammad Rizwan, Babar Azam, Imam-ul-Haq, Abdullah Shafique, Tayyab Tahir, Irfan Khan, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Wasim, Naseem Shah, Akif Javed, Mohammad Ali, Abrar Ahmed, Sufyan Muqeem, and Faheem Ashraf.

Pakistan's tour of New Zealand runs from March 16 to April 5.