Following a disappointing performance in the ICC Champions Trophy, the Pakistan squad for the upcoming New Zealand tour will be announced today.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has completed consultations with team management, and legendary cricketer Mohammad Yousuf is being considered as a replacement for head coach Aaqib Javed.
According to sources, Mohammad Rizwan is expected to remain the ODI captain, but several senior players might be dropped. For the T20 captaincy, Salman Ali Agha and Shadab Khan are among the names under consideration.
Meanwhile, ahead of the New Zealand series, PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi met with top-performing domestic cricketers in Lahore. Reports indicate that Babar Azam, Haris Rauf, Naseem Shah, and Shaheen Shah Afridi will be rested.
Some players, fearing exclusion due to poor performances, might opt out of the series themselves under the pretext of rest.
Pakistan is set to depart for New Zealand on March 12, with the five-match T20 series beginning on March 16, followed by a three-match ODI series.
Sources further reveal that the PCB plans to rely on young cricketers to prepare for the 2026 T20 World Cup.
