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Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, and Naseem Shah may skip Pakistan’s New Zealand tour after their Champions Trophy exit.
Babar Azam (Picture credit: AP)
Senior Pakistani cricketers Babar Azam, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf, and Naseem Shah are reportedly considering skipping next month’s tour of New Zealand after the team’s embarrassing group-stage exit from the 2025 Champions Trophy. According to a report by news agency PTI, which cited sources within the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), they are already anticipating being dropped for the tour.
Pakistan are scheduled to play five T20Is and three ODIs during the white-ball tour of New Zealand between March 16 and April 5.
“These players know that they are most likely to be dropped by the selectors who will now want to try out new faces so they are thinking about withdrawing themselves and are in consultations with their agents to make the next move,” a source said.
The report also said that there was ‘a cloud of uncertainty’ over the future of white-ball skipper Mohammad Rizwan. It said the selectors could recommend chairman Mohsin Naqvi to rebuild the T20 squad ahead of the men’s Asia Cup in September and next year’s T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka.
Pakistan lost their opening clash against the Kiwis by 60 runs — this came after two defeats in the leadup to the tournament as well — and then suffered a six-wicket loss to India in Dubai, effectively ending their chances of reaching the semi-finals. A wash-out in the last league stage game against Bangladesh ended their hopes of giving some joy to the home fans seeing the country host an ICC tournament for the first time since 1996.
‘Aaqib Javed might continue at Pakistan’s NCA’
The report said that the head coach Aaqib Javed, who is likely to be sacked after the 2025 Champions Trophy, could be retained as a national selector as well in the National Cricket Academy in Lahore.
“Aaqib whose tenure as interim head coach has concluded is now being considered to work at the national cricket academy in Lahore in a senior position but due to the resignations of Gary Kirsten and Jason Gillispie, the PCB had asked Aaqib to take over as interim head coach,” the quoted source said.
“All decisions would be taken after the Champions Trophy ends on February 9.”
