Pakistan cricketers Haris Rauf, Usama Mir, and Zaman Khan, originally part of the Big Bash League (BBL) in Australia, have now joined the Pakistan cricket team for the upcoming Sydney Test.
Reports suggest that although the trio applied for No Objection Certificates (NOCs) to extend their participation in additional BBL matches, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) turned down their request, declining national cricketers’ involvement in more games.
Despite not being included in the Test squad for the Australia series, the team’s spokesperson mentioned that Rauf, Mir, and Zaman would be practicing with the national team.
Preparations for the Sydney Test, scheduled to start on January 3, 2024, have begun, with the team initiating practice sessions from Monday onwards.
Notably, Rauf, Mir, and Zaman are set to feature in the national squad for the T20 series against New Zealand, which kicks off on January 12, 2024, in Auckland.
The Pakistan squad lineup includes a mix of experienced and emerging players for the tour of New Zealand, featuring a series of five T20Is starting from January 12 in Auckland and continuing in Hamilton, Dunedin, and Christchurch.
Pakistan Squad for New Zealand Tour:
- 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
The schedule for Pakistan’s 2024 tour to New Zealand:
- First match: New Zealand vs Pakistan, January 12, Auckland
- Second match: New Zealand vs Pakistan, January 14, Hamilton
- Third match: New Zealand vs Pakistan, January 17, Dunedin
- Fourth match: New Zealand vs Pakistan, January 19, Christchurch
- Fifth match: New Zealand vs Pakistan, January 21, Christchurch.
