Former Pakistan cricket captain Rashid Latif has shared his predictions for the national squad ahead of the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) official announcement for the upcoming limited-overs tour of New Zealand. The tour will consist of five T20 Internationals (T20Is) and three One-Day Internationals (ODIs).
The official squad will be unveiled on Tuesday at a media conference held at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore, where interim head coach Aqib Javed is set to reveal the players. The PCB has also confirmed that the announcement event will be live-streamed on its official YouTube and Facebook channels.
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In his predictions, Latif notably excluded captain Babar Azam and fast bowler Naseem Shah from the T20I squad, suggesting that Shadab Khan could lead Pakistan in the T20 series against New Zealand. His predicted squad includes a blend of seasoned players and new talent such as Mohammad Haris, Sufyan Muqeem, Irfan Khan Niazi, and Jahandad Khan, along with experienced cricketers like Shaheen Afridi and Haris Rauf.
Latif also mentioned the possibility of Salman Ali Agha being considered for the T20I captaincy to avoid any potential controversy, leaving room for speculation ahead of the official announcement.
For the ODI series, Latif believes the coaching staff will play a key role in selecting the squad, with Aqib Javed as head coach, Mohammad Yousuf as batting coach, Azhar Mehmood as bowling coach, and Mohammad Masroor as fielding coach. He predicts the ODI squad will feature a mix of regular stars such as Mohammad Rizwan, Babar Azam, and Imam-ul-Haq, alongside emerging players like Tayyab Tahir and Sufyan Muqeem.
With the PCB set to reveal the official squad soon, fans are eagerly waiting to see if Latif’s predictions align with the final team selection for the important tour against New Zealand.
