AUCKLAND: Pakistan under their new captain Shaheen Shah Afridi launch the preparations for this year’s T20 World Cup with a five-match series against New Zealand starting at Eden Park in Auckland on Friday.

Left-arm fast bowler Shaheen was named skipper after Babar Azam stepped down from captaincy in all formats following Pakistan’s disastrous campaign at the ODI World Cup late last year in India.

The ICC T20 World Cup featuring teams from 20 countries will be hosted by the United States and the West Indies from June 1 to 29.

Pakistan, currently fourth in ICC T20 rankings, last played T20 Internationals in April 2023 when they drew a five-game home series against New Zealand 2-2.

Leg-spinner Usama Mir, pacer Mohammad Abbas Afridi and wicket-keeper/batter Haseebullah are the uncapped players in the touring T20 party while Sahibzada Farhan, Azam Khan and Aamer Jamal have returned to the squad.

Shaheen said that Pakistan’s focus would be on producing favourable results in the New Zealand series.

“It is a great honour and a proud moment to be captaining Pakistan. We are a good T20 side and that has reflected in our performances during the past few years. We have done well in World Cups but have not been able to finish [the job] as we wanted. We will focus on getting the results we want in big tournaments,” Shaheen said during a pre-match media conference at on Thursday.

Pakistan won all their first-round games at the 2021 T20 World Cup in the UAE but lost the semi-final to Australia; they managed to reach the final of the 2022 World Cup in Australia but again fell at the last hurdle as Jos Buttler-led England claimed the coveted title.

Shaheen expects tough going while leading the national team.

“First-time captaincy is not easy, it’s a new challenge in New Zealand,” said the 23-year-old. “However, we have a very good track record against New Zealand but they are one of the best teams in the world so we’ll try to do our best.”

So far, Pakistan have played 15 T20 Internationals on New Zealand soil, winning seven and losing eight. Shaheen and company however can take heart from their 2-1 series win in New Zealand in October 2022, the green-shirts’ last T20 visit to the country.

On the subject of T20 openers, the skipper while acknowledging the role and impact of Babar and Mohammad Rizwan’s pair emphasised the significance of trying different combinations before the World Cup.

“Babar and Rizwan will always be the best opening pair for Pakistan. But, I think we have 17 matches before the [T20] World Cup, and we should try different combinations and try to figure out which player fits in which position and we will try to play them [in that position],” he said.

“We have 17 games before the World Cup. We want to make sure we have our [best] combination locked in time for that but we also want to ensure that we have a strong bench, in case of injuries during the tournament.”

Shaheen continued, “The [team] management will test younger talent and rotate the players so that they have clarity about combination by the time the team play series against England.”

In the four T20s against England before the World Cup, we should know our best playing XI, he underlined.

BABAR TERMED ‘BIG THREAT’

Meanwhile, New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson praised the Pakistan team ahead of the series.

Williamson, who led New Zealand to the 2021 T20 World Cup final, stated the matches against Pakistan were always competitive.

“Pakistan are one of the best teams in the world, playing against them is always a fantastic opportunity,” the skipper said during a press conference on Wednesday. “Before the 2022 T20 World Cup, they played a tri-series here [in New Zealand] and won. So we know how strong they are as a team. It will be a great opportunity for our players.”

Williamson conceded that Babar was a major threat for the Black Caps.

“He [Babar] is a world-class player. Cricket comes with a full range of feeling and emotions and part of it is navigating each day and looking to improve. He is one of the best players in the world and I am sure he will be doing that and that doesn’t change overnight. We know he is a big threat,” Williamson insisted.

Squads:

NEW ZEALAND: Kane Williamson (captain), Finn Allen, Devon Conway (wicket-keeper), Tim Seifert (wicket-keeper), Mark Chapman, Josh Clarkson, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Mitchell Santner, Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry, Adam Milne, Ben Sears, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee

PAKISTAN: Shaheen Shah Afridi (captain), Mohammad Rizwan (vice-captain, wicket-keeper), Aamer Jamal, Abbas Afridi, Azam Khan (wicket-keeper), Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah (wicket-keeper), Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Usama Mir, Zaman Khan.

Published in Dawn, January 12th, 2024