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The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced a 16-man squad for the upcoming two-match Test series against the visiting New Zealand side.
The Men in Green recently lost 3-0 against England and will be hopeful for a better result against the Kiwis, who are touring the nation after 19 years.
The side led by Babar Azam includes 27-year-old Kamran Ghulam, who has featured as a reserve player in the past. The wicketkeeper-batter replaces the recently retired Azhar Ali in the squad.
Hasan Ali also features to bolster a depleted pace bowling unit. The right-arm pacer last played during the tour of Sri Lanka in July 2022 and was not selected for the T20 World Cup 2022 as well as the Test series against England. He replaces Mohammad Ali in the squad.
Haris Rauf didn't find a place in the squad as he is still recovering from a quad injury that he sustained during his maiden red-ball outing with the national team. He was ruled out of the England series after failing to fully partake in the first game.
Meanwhile, Naseem Shah, who had an injury concern, is reportedly fit and has been included in the squad. The young pacer was ruled out of the final Test against England in Karachi due to a shoulder niggle.
Saud Shakeel, a revelation for Pakistan in the forgettable 3-0 whitewash against England, also retains his place. He was arguably his side's best batter after amassing 346 runs at an average of 57.67 in his maiden Test series.
Under-fire Mohammad Rizwan also kept a hold of his place as the primary wicketkeeper despite a poor series against England. He averaged 23.50 across the three Tests with no fifties to his name.
Abrar Ahmed, who broke through England's batting in his debut Test in Multan with his wily spin bowling, is also part of the squad to face New Zealand.
Pakistan squad for New Zealand Test series
Babar Azam (captain), Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Hasan Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Naseem Shah, Noman Ali, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Salman Ali Agha, Saud Shakeel, Shan Masood, and Zahid Mehmood.
New Zealand's tour of Pakistan will kickstart with the first Test on December 26 at the National Stadium in Karachi.
Will Pakistan bounce back with a series win over New Zealand to end the year on a high?
