Ahead of the upcoming New Zealand T20Is, Pakistan’s top-order batter Fakhar Zaman is all set to take on the number six or seven position in the batting lineup.
Zaman expressed his readiness during a Wednesday press conference, emphasizing that adjusting his batting spot isn’t a sacrifice. According to him, if team management sees a fit for him in a different batting slot, it means they trust his ability to contribute to victories from that position.
Acknowledging the stiff competition within the national team, Zaman feels fortunate to secure a spot in the playing XI. He recognizes the stellar performances of players like Babar, Rizwan, and Saim, mentioning his readiness to slot in lower down the order if Babar or Rizwan take up the one-down position.
He discussed the prospect of experimenting with the batting order in preparation for the ICC T20 World Cup later this year. Zaman highlighted the importance of building backup options for key players while suggesting that the upcoming matches provide opportunities to try out new talents and give rest to senior players intermittently.
The shift in the batting order traces back to the Test tour of Australia, where the team initially planned to pair Saim Ayub and Fakhar Zaman as openers. However, the management revised their approach, placing vice-captain Mohammad Rizwan alongside Saim at the top. This reshuffle positions former skipper Babar Azam at number three and earmarks Zaman for the number four spot.
Despite these changes, the 29-year-old Azam hasn’t opposed or shown disagreement with the restructured lineup.
Pakistan Squad for New Zealand T20Is:
- Shaheen Afridi (c)
- Aamir Jamal
- Abbas Afridi
- Abrar Ahmed
- Azam Khan (wk)
- Babar Azam
- Fakhar Zaman
- Haris Rauf
- Haseebullah (wk)
- Iftikhar Ahmed
- Mohammad Nawaz
- Mohammad Rizwan (wk)
- Mohammad Wasim Jnr
- Sahibzada Farhan
- Saim Ayub
- Usama Mir
- Zaman Khan
New Zealand T20I Squad:
- Kane Williamson (c) (matches 1, 2, 4 and 5)
- Finn Allen
- Mark Chapman
- Josh Clarkson (match 3 only)
- Devon Conway (wk)
- Lockie Ferguson (matches 3, 4 and 5)
- Matt Henry
- Adam Milne
- Daryl Mitchell
- Glenn Phillips
- Mitchell Santner
- Ben Sears (matches 1 and 2)
- Tim Seifert (wk)
- Ish Sodhi
- Tim Southee
The Pakistan squad for the New Zealand T20Is includes players like Shaheen Shah Afridi, Azam Khan, Babar Azam, and more. Here’s the schedule for the T20I series:
– 1st T20 on 12th January 2024 at Eden Park, Auckland
– 2nd T20 on 14th January 2024 at Seddon Park, Hamilton
– 3rd T20 on 17th January 2024 at University Oval, Dunedin
– 4th T20 on 19th January 2024 at Hagley Oval, Christchurch
– 5th T20 on 21st January 2024 at Hagley Oval, Christchurch