LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has decided to give opportunity to the young players in the upcoming T20 series against New Zealand following poor performance of the national team in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, as per the sources.
Domestic cricketers have been asked to come to Lahore for the selection process of the T20 bout against New Zealand, the sources said.
Moreover, a meeting between the young cricketers and board officials is expected soon, according to the sources.
Notably, the national team is scheduled to leave for New Zealand on March 12, where the first phase of the 5 T20I series will begin from March 16.
This decision aligns with Pakistan’s long-term strategy for the 2026 T20 World Cup, set to be hosted in India and Sri Lanka.
Meanwhile, former wicketkeeper-batter Rashid Latif suggested a list of young players who should be considered for the upcoming series.
His recommendations include Hassan Nawaz, Ali Raza, Abdul Samad, Akif Javed and Muhammad Nafay.
Additionally, he believes all-rounder Shadab Khan is the leading candidate to captain the T20I squad.
The wicketkeeper batter also mentioned several other names for the probable squad, including Muhammad Haris, Sufyan Muqeem, Arafat Minhas, Irfan Khan Niazi, Zaman Khan, Mohammad Wasim, Abbas Afridi, Jahandad Khan, Agha Salman, Abrar Ahmed, Omair Bin Yousuf and Khushdil Shah.
Additionally, reports indicate that several senior players are contemplating taking a break from international cricket following their underwhelming performances in the Champions Trophy.
Key players such as Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, Naseem Shah, and Babar Azam are reportedly being discussed in selection meetings, with some considering stepping back from the tour to avoid the risk of being dropped.
As a consequence of the Pakistani side’s incompetent performance in the current Champions Trophy tournament, the new decision of selecting young and new cricketers is being considered.
In their three Champion Trophy matches, Pakistan faced miserable defeats from New Zealand and India, whereas, their third match against Bangladesh was hindered due to rain.
The host team was officially out of the tournament after New Zealand outclassed Bangladesh in the group-stage clash.
The Kiwis and the Indian team have booked their spots for the semi-finals after winning the first two of their respective matches of the tournament.
