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Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, and Naseem Shah might skip Pakistan’s New Zealand tour after their Champions Trophy exit.
Babar Azam (Image credit score: AP)
Senior Pakistani cricketers Babar Azam, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf, and Naseem Shah are reportedly contemplating skipping subsequent month’s tour of New Zealand after the staff’s embarrassing group-stage exit from the 2025 Champions Trophy. In keeping with a report by information company PTI, which cited sources throughout the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), they’re already anticipating being dropped for the tour.
Pakistan are scheduled to play 5 T20Is and three ODIs through the white-ball tour of New Zealand between March 16 and April 5.
“These gamers know that they’re more than likely to be dropped by the selectors who will now need to check out new faces so they’re occupied with withdrawing themselves and are in consultations with their brokers to make the following transfer,” a supply mentioned.
The report additionally mentioned that there was ‘a cloud of uncertainty’ over the way forward for white-ball skipper Mohammad Rizwan. It mentioned the selectors might suggest chairman Mohsin Naqvi to rebuild the T20 squad forward of the lads’s Asia Cup in September and subsequent yr’s T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka.
Pakistan misplaced their opening conflict towards the Kiwis by 60 runs — this got here after two defeats within the leadup to the event as nicely — after which suffered a six-wicket loss to India in Dubai, successfully ending their possibilities of reaching the semi-finals. A wash-out within the final league stage sport towards Bangladesh ended their hopes of giving some pleasure to the house followers seeing the nation host an ICC event for the primary time since 1996.
‘Aaqib Javed may proceed at Pakistan’s NCA’
The report mentioned that the pinnacle coach Aaqib Javed, who’s more likely to be sacked after the 2025 Champions Trophy, could possibly be retained as a nationwide selector as nicely within the Nationwide Cricket Academy in Lahore.
“Aaqib whose tenure as interim head coach has concluded is now being thought-about to work on the nationwide cricket academy in Lahore in a senior place however as a result of resignations of Gary Kirsten and Jason Gillispie, the PCB had requested Aaqib to take over as interim head coach,” the quoted supply mentioned.
“All choices can be taken after the Champions Trophy ends on February 9.”