Four uncapped players picked in Pakistan squad for New Zealand ODIs

Pakistan has named a 20-players squad for their upcoming series against New Zealand with four uncapped players listed in the squad. Among the four players, three are exciting youngsters while the fourth is a domestic veteran.

Fast bowlers Mohammad Wasim Jr and Shahnawaz Dahani, wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Haris, and legspinner Zahid Mahmood will all be in the contention of making their ODIs debuts in the three-match series. This ODI series will begin on September 17.

All three matches are part of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Super League.

About the Four Uncapped Players

Wasim Jr made his T20I debut during Pakistan’s recent tour of the West Indies, taking two wickets across the four matches. He is just 20-years-old and looks to be another promising cricketer for Pakistani Cricket.

Dahani made his List A and T20 debuts in 2021. He impressed in the recent Pakistan Super League, taking 20 wickets at 17, and shone in the domestic one-day competition (19 wickets at 24.89). He is 23-years-old and has a higher chance of making a debut in this series.

Haris has been selected as the squad’s backup keeper behind Mohammad Rizwan. He is 20 years old and very quick on his feet. He impressed in Pakistan’s domestic one-day tournament, making 289 runs at an average of 41.28.

Legspinner Zahid Mahmood is the oldest of the four uncapped players. He made his T20I debut in 2021 against South Africa at Gaddafi Stadium. He had secured three crucial wickets in the match. The 33-year-old has also played for Quetta Gladiators in the past.

Babar Azam to Captain the side

Babar Azam will continue to captain Pakistan in this ODI series as well. The 26-year-old is impressing everyone with his shrewd captaincy. He plays his role as a batsman too to the highest standards.

Everyone will be looking forward to Shaheen Afridi’s performance as well since he is the only Pakistani bowler in the ICC top 10 rankings.

Pakistan ODI squad:

Babar Azam (c) – Abdullah Shafique – Faheem Ashraf Fakhar Zaman – Haris Rauf – Hasan Ali – Iftikhar Ahmed Imam-ul-Haq – Khushdil Shah – Mohammad Haris  Mohammad Hasnain – Mohammad Nawaz – Mohammad Rizwan  Mohammad Wasim Jnr – Saud Shakeel – Shadab Khan  Shaheen Shah Afridi – Shahnawaz Dahani – Usman Qadir  Zahid Mahmood

This will be New Zealand’s first tour of Pakistan in 18 years. The tour starts with three ODIs in Rawalpindi scheduled on September 17, 19, and 21 and culminates with five T20Is in Lahore. Crowds up to 25% capacity will also be allowed in the stadium, which means the ODIs taking place in Rawalpindi will be open to 4500 spectators each.