Pakistan name squad for New Zealand tour, Salman Ali Agha appointed T20I captain

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Tuesday unveiled the national squad for the upcoming white-ball series against New Zealand.

The series will feature five T20 Internationals (T20Is) from March 16 to 26, followed by three One Day Internationals (ODIs) from March 29 to April 5.

All-rounder Salman Ali Agha has been appointed as the T20I captain, with Shadab Khan as his deputy. Mohammad Rizwan will continue to lead the ODI side, with Agha serving as vice-captain.

The PCB stated that the appointments of Agha and Shadab were made with an eye on two major upcoming tournaments—the ACC Men’s T20 Asia Cup 2025 and the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026.

Salman, who led Pakistan to a 2-1 series victory against Zimbabwe last year, will have another opportunity to prove himself as captain.

Meanwhile, Rizwan will continue as ODI captain as Pakistan prepare for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2027, set to be hosted by Namibia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe.

Pakistan squad for New Zealand series

ODI Squad: Muhammad Rizwan (C), Salman Ali AGHA (VC), abdullah shafique, abRRARED, Akif Javid, Babar azam, Fehaem Ashraf, IMAM-UL-Haq, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Ali, mohammad wasim JNR, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Suffyan Moqim, Tayyab Tahir.

T20I Squad: Salman Ali AGHA (C), Shadab Khan (VC), abdul Samad, abarar ahmed, haris rauf, haasan nawaz, jahandad khan, khushdil shah, mohammad abbas Afridi, mohammad Ali, mohammad haaris, muhammad Irfan Khan.

Pakistan’s road to T20 World Cup 2026

As part of their preparations for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, Pakistan will play at least five T20I matches in the ACC Men’s Asia Cup 2025.

Additionally, they are scheduled to face West Indies (away, July), Afghanistan (home, August), Ireland (home, September), South Africa (home, September-October), Sri Lanka (home, November), and Australia (home, January 2026) in three-match T20I series.

With a mix of experienced players and emerging talent, the New Zealand series will serve as a crucial test for Pakistan ahead of major international tournaments.