Salman Ali Agha Named Pakistan’s T20I Captain for New Zealand Tour

Pakistan has announced a new leadership structure for its upcoming tour of New Zealand, with Salman Ali Agha appointed as the T20I captain and Shadab Khan as his vice-captain for the five-match T20I series from March 16 to March 26, 2025. Meanwhile, Mohammad Rizwan will continue as ODI captain, with Salman serving as his deputy for the three ODIs scheduled from March 29 to April 5, 2025.

Pakistan’s New Leadership Vision

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has made these appointments with an eye on two major upcoming tournaments:

ACC Men’s T20 Asia Cup 2025 (September 2025)
ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 (February/March 2026)

Salman previously captained Pakistan in a T20I series win against Zimbabwe (2-1) last year, proving his leadership potential.

Upcoming International Schedule

To prepare for the ICC T20 World Cup 2026, Pakistan will play multiple T20I series, including:

ACC Asia Cup 2025 (minimum of five T20Is)
Bangladesh (Home, May 2025) – 3 T20Is
West Indies (Away, July 2025) – 3 T20Is
Afghanistan (Home, August 2025) – 3 T20Is
Ireland (Home, September 2025) – 3 T20Is
South Africa (Home, Sept/Oct 2025) – 3 T20Is
Sri Lanka (Home, November 2025) – 3 T20Is
Australia (Home, January 2026) – 3 T20Is

Similarly, Pakistan is preparing for the ICC Men’s 50-over Cricket World Cup 2027, which will be held in Namibia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe in October/November 2027.

Pakistan Squads for New Zealand Tour

T20I Squad

Captain: Salman Ali Agha
Vice-Captain: Shadab Khan
Abdul Samad
Abrar Ahmed
Haris Rauf
Hasan Nawaz
Jahandad Khan
Khushdil Shah
Mohammad Abbas Afridi
Mohammad Ali
Mohammad Haris
Muhammad Irfan Khan
Omair Bin Yousaf
Shaheen Shah Afridi
Sufyan Moqim
Usman Khan

ODI Squad

Captain: Mohammad Rizwan
Vice-Captain: Salman Ali Agha
Abdullah Shafique
Abrar Ahmed
Akif Javed
Babar Azam
Faheem Ashraf
Imam-ul-Haq
Khushdil Shah
Mohammad Ali
Mohammad Wasim Jnr
Muhammad Irfan Khan
Naseem Shah
Sufyan Moqim
Tayyab Tahir

A wicketkeeper-batter will be added to the ODI squad after the T20I series.

New Players Earn Their Spot

The squad includes four uncapped players:

Abdul Samad – Impressive performances in domestic T20 and One-Day Cups.
Hasan Nawaz – Finished as 2nd highest run-scorer in the Champions T20 Cup.
Mohammad Ali – Led the Champions T20 Cup with 22 wickets.
Akif Javed – Earned an ODI spot after taking 7 wickets in the Champions One-Day Cup.

Key Players Absent Due to Injuries

Fakhar Zaman (muscle sprain) and Saim Ayub (ankle fracture) were not considered.
Both players are expected to return for HBL PSL 10, starting April 11, 2025.

Coaching and Support Staff

Interim Head Coach: Aqib Javed
Batting Coach: Mohammad Yousuf
Assistant Coach: Azhar Mahmood
Fielding Coach: Mohammad Masroor

Aqib Javed was originally appointed until the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 but has been asked to extend his tenure while PCB searches for a permanent head coach.

Pakistan’s New Zealand Tour Schedule

T20I Series

March 16 – 1st T20I, Christchurch
March 18 – 2nd T20I, Dunedin
March 21 – 3rd T20I, Auckland
March 23 – 4th T20I, Mount Maunganui
March 26 – 5th T20I, Wellington

ODI Series

March 29 – 1st ODI, Napier
April 2 – 2nd ODI, Hamilton
April 5 – 3rd ODI, Mount Maunganui

Pakistan’s squad, with a blend of experience and fresh talent, aims to dominate the New Zealand series and strengthen its preparations for upcoming global tournaments.