Mohammad Rizwan was replaced in the starting lineup for today’s Test against New Zealand by wicketkeeper-batter Sarfaraz Ahmed. He came back after four years of his final appearance for his country in test.
The right-handed batter’s most recent appearance in the longest format of cricket was against South Africa in 2019, during which time he amassed a half-ton of runs and made ten catches.
The team chosen for today’s first Test match against the Black Caps in Karachi has undergone some additional adjustments (Monday). Injured Naseem Shah has been replaced by pacer Mir Hamza.
The administrative changes at the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) led to the appointment of Shahid Afridi as chief selector for the New Zealand series, which brought about the changes in the Test lineup. For 120 days, a 14-person team under the direction of Najam Sethi will be in charge of overseeing PCB operations.
First Test on his home ground 👏#PAKvNZ | #TayyariKiwiHai pic.twitter.com/m6a43PcXjB
— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) December 26, 2022
Afridi urges workload optimization
Speaking to the media in Karachi on Sunday, Shahid Afridi emphasised the need of managing players’ workloads and made a suggestion that Mir Hamza and Sarfaraz Ahmed might be included in the starting lineup.
Afridi’s first significant choice was to name Shahnawaz Dahani, Sajid Khan, and Mir Hamza to Pakistan’s Test team for the domestic series.
According to Afridi, players were chosen based on their contributions to Pakistan’s success and their performances.
Since Naseem Shah isn’t entirely fit, it was a decent idea to include two quick bowlers in the squad. When will Shahnawaz Dahani get the chance? We’ve been carrying him for so many days. Additionally, it was crucial to have a left-hander, which is why Mir Hamza was included when Shaheen wasn’t available, according to Shahid Afridi.
The chief selector added, “And Mir Hamza has been playing well; I think he deserves to play now.”
Afridi continued, “Players’ workload management is vital, and skipper Babar Azam has also stressed this.”
“We have athletes who regularly compete in all formats. We need to reinforce our bench, but we also have some seniors who have been warming the bench for a while, so let’s see. If one is rested, there shouldn’t be any issues. We will talk about how to move when I meet Babar Azam tonight, the chief selector announced.
Afridi continued by saying that he wants to see Babar Azam among the greatest captains. And he will help him to become a good captain in the same way that he is a brilliant hitter.
