Babar Azam to return as Pakistan’s T20I captain against New Zealand after series loss against Afghanistan - Reports

Babar Azam is likely to cut short his international break to return as Pakistan captain for the upcoming limited-overs series against New Zealand.

The right-hander was likely to be rested for five T20Is against the Blackcaps. However, Babar has been asked to return after Shadab Khan-led Pakistan lost the three-match T20I series against Afghanistan in his absence with one match to spare.

According to a report in Cricket Pakistan, the management wants to have Babar at the helm of the T20I side as they continue to give chances to young players. However, they are not keen on experimenting with the ODI side given that the 2023 ODI World Cup is only a few months away.

The development comes after Men in Green lost the first two T20Is against Afghanistan by six wickets and seven wickets, respectively. It was Afghanistan’s first T20I series win against Pakistan.

It came as a major setback since Pakistan are currently ranked third in the latest ICC T20I rankings, only behind India and England. Afghanistan, on the other hand, are placed 10th.

Babar Azam and Co. are likely to begin their practice for the New Zealand series, starting April 7 or 8.

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Babar Azam-led Pakistan's full schedule for T20I and ODI series against New Zealand

Pakistan will begin their T20I series against the Blackcaps in Lahore on April 14. While Lahore will host the first three T20Is, the fourth and fifth T20Is will be played in Rawalpindi.

Meanwhile, the ODI series will kick start in Rawalpindi on April 26. The remaining four ODIs will take place in Karachi.

PAK vs NZ schedule:

• 14 Apr - 1st T20I, Lahore
• 15 Apr – 2nd T20I, Lahore
• 17 Apr – 3rd T20I, Lahore
• 20 Apr – 4th T20I, Rawalpindi
• 24 Apr – 5th T20I, Rawalpindi
• 26 Apr – 1st ODI, Rawalpindi
• 30 Apr – 2nd ODI, Karachi
• 3 May – 3rd ODI, Karachi
• 5 May – 4th ODI, Karachi
• 7 May – 5th ODI, Karachi

The selection committee is expected to announce the squad for the New Zealand series after consultation with Babar Azam next week.