Usman Khan gets the nod as Pakistan announce team for T20I series against New Zealand

Islamabad, April 9 (IANS) With the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi confirming Usman Khan's availability despite a ban imposed by Emirates Cricket Board, the selectors on Tuesday picked him in the team for the upcoming Twenty20 International (T20I) home series against New Zealand.

Opener Usman Khan was part of the setup in the Emirates Cricket Board and was available to play for the United Arab Emirates (UAE) team before pulling out in favour of his home nation, incurring a five-year ban from the ECB for not fulfilling his obligations towards the UAE team.

-The PCB named him in the 17-member squad, which will be led by captain Babar Azam and will feature in the five-match T20I series against the visitors from April 18 to 27 in the eastern cities of Rawalpindi and Lahore.

Besides Usman, uncapped middle-order batsman Muhammad Irfan Khan was also included in the team after their impressive performances in the 2024 Pakistan Super League (PSL).

The selectors have also picked wrist spinner Abrar Ahmed, all-rounder Imad Wasim and fast bowler Mohammad Amir for the series, reports Xinhua.

Wasim and Amir both decided to reverse their retirement from international cricket last month and were later included in the training camp. "Both Amir and Wasim possess undeniable match-winning capabilities, and we trust they will consistently deliver strong performances to bolster the team's objectives," said PCB chief selector Wahab Riaz.

The selectors also picked Haseebullah, Mohammad Ali, Wasim Jnr, Sahibzada Farhan and Salman Ali Agha as non-travelling reserves.

Pakistan squad:

Babar Azam (Captain), Abrar Ahmed, Azam Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim Mohd Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Amir, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usama Mir, Usman Khan, Zaman Khan.

Non-travelling reserves: Haseebullah, Mohammad Ali, Wasim Jnr, Sahibzada Farhan and Salman Ali Agha.

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