Pakistan head coach Azhar Mahmood has hinted at changes in the Men in Green’s lineup for the first T20I of the series against New Zealand on Thursday in Rawalpindi.
Mahmood said that the playing XI will be decided after assessing the pitch and weather conditions.
“We haven’t decided anything yet but you will definitely see changes in the lineup. We will assess the pitch before deciding the playing XI for the first match,” Mahmood said during a press conference on Tuesday.
“We will take into account the weather conditions before deciding whether we should play two spinners of four pacers,” he added.
The former all-rounder also confirmed that rotation policy will be prioritised during the series since Pakistan want to test their bench strength.
"It is possible Babar Azam can rest but it will depend on the situation. We will view all aspects while making the decision,” he said.
“Our goal is to ensure that we know our bench strength and best XI before the first match of the T20 World Cup this year,” he added.
It must be noted that the five-match T20I series between Pakistan and New Zealand will begin tomorrow in Rawalpindi but rain could play spoilsport, according to The Weather Channel.
The latest weather forecast states that there is 40 percent chance of rain on Thursday during the day and 70 percent at night.
Pakistan squad
Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Saim Ayub, Usman Khan, Iftikhar Ahmed, Azam Khan (wk), Imad Wasim, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Mohammad Amir, Abbas Afridi, Abrar Ahmed, Fakhar Zaman, Irfan Khan Niazi, Usama Mir, Zaman Khan
Reserves: Haseebullah, Mohammad Ali, Agha Salman, Sahibzada Farhan, Mohammad Wasim Jr.
New Zealand squad
Michael Bracewell (c), Mark Chapman, Josh Clarkson, Jacob Duffy, Dean Foxcroft, Ben Lister, Cole McConchie, Jimmy Neesham, Will O’Rourke, Tim Robinson, Ben Sears, Tim Seifert (WK), Ish Sodhi, Tom Blundell, Zak Foulkes.
Pakistan vs New Zealand T20I series schedule
April 18 — 1st T20I, Rawalpindi
April 20 — 2nd T20I, Rawalpindi
April 21 — 3rd T20I, Rawalpindi
April 25 — 4th T20I, Lahore
April 27 — 5th T20I, Lahore
- Azhar Mahmood
