Khurram Manzoor scored 319 runs in two unofficial Tests against West Indies A in a recent tour. —AP/File Photo
Khurram Manzoor scored 319 runs in two unofficial Tests against West Indies A in a recent tour. —AP/File Photo
LAHORE: Opening batsman Khurram Manzoor has been included in the Pakistan Test team for the two-match series against New Zealand on the upcoming tour starting on Dec 26. Though the selectors had already announced a 14-member team for the two Test matches besides naming a 15-member squad for the three Twenty20 Internationals against the Kiwis, they kept the 15th place in the Test team vacant.

“Khurram’s performance on the ongoing West Indies tour was brilliant, so the selectors decided to pick him in the [Test] team,” chief selector Mohsin Khan said.

“After the chairman selection committee’s discussion with other selectors and the Test captain [Misbah-ul-Haq] it is decided to include Khurram Manzoor as the 15th player in the national Test squad for the upcoming Pakistan v New Zealand Series,” a PCB media release said.

The first Test will be played in Hamilton from Jan 7-11 while the second will be held in Wellington from Jan 15-19. Besides Tests and Twenty20 matches, a six-match ODI series is also on the schedule.

Opinion

Editorial

Iran’s resilience
Updated 05 Jul, 2026

Iran’s resilience

THE funeral ceremonies for Iran’s assassinated supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and his family members, which...
The annual test
05 Jul, 2026

The annual test

PAKISTAN enters another monsoon season with little room for complacency. Last year’s rains claimed more than 1,000...
Dangerous syringes
05 Jul, 2026

Dangerous syringes

INNOCENCE stands overwhelmed by another health emergency. The HIV crisis, beyond surging statistics — over 350,000...
Agri-tax failure
Updated 04 Jul, 2026

Agri-tax failure

THE first year of Pakistan’s unified agriculture income tax regime has produced an outcome that should surprise no...
Deadly roads
04 Jul, 2026

Deadly roads

THE horrific bus crash at the Balochistan-KP border on Friday should prompt greater scrutiny of road safety ...
Terrorism numbers
04 Jul, 2026

Terrorism numbers

AS Pakistan continues to grapple with the menace of militancy, the number of terrorist attacks present a mixed...