KARACHI: Former Pakistan captain Sarfraz Ahmed will replace Mohammad Rizwan in the playing XI for the opening Test against New Zealand today, making a comeback to the squad after four years, sources told JEE News on Monday.
He last played a Test in 2019 against South Africa in which he took 10 catches and scored a half-century.
Three changes are expected in the selected team for the Pakistan team’s first match against the Kiwis starting today in Karachi.
Sources further said that pacer Mir Hamza will replace the injured Naseem Shah while off-spinner Sajid Khan is also likely to be included in the team.
The changes to the Test team come after changes in the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) administration following Shahid Afridi’s appointment as chief selector for the New Zealand series. A 14-member body headed by Najam Sethi has been tasked with overseeing the PCB’s operations for 120 days.
Afridi emphasized on workload management.
Speaking to the media in Karachi on Sunday, Shahid Afridi emphasized the need for players’ workload management and hinted at the inclusion of Mir Hamza and Sarfaraz Ahmed in the final XI.
Afridi’s first major decision was to include Mir Hamza, Sajid Khan and Shahnawaz Durmani in Pakistan’s Test squad for the home series.
Afridi told the media that the players have been included after seeing their performances and Pakistan’s strength.
“I have come to know that Naseem Shah is not fully fit so it was good to add two fast bowlers in the team. We have been carrying the promise of Shahnawaz for so many days, when will we get a chance? Also, when Shaheen was not around, it was necessary to have a left-hander hence Mir Hamza was included,” said Shahid Afridi.
“And, Mir Hamza is doing well, I think he is fit to play now,” said the chief selector.
Afridi added that managing the players’ workload is important and this is something that captain Babar Azam has also emphasized.
“We have players who are playing all formats consistently. We need to strengthen our bench so that there is no problem if someone is rested, we also have some seniors who have been warming the bench for a long time, so let’s see. I am meeting Babar Azam tonight and we will discuss how to proceed,” said the chief selector.
Afridi added that he wants to see Babar Azam among the great captains and will support him to become as good a captain as he is a good batsman.
