Pakistan announce cricket squads for Australia, Zimbabwe tours with new captain

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) selectors announced squads on Sunday for two upcoming tours to Australia and Zimbabwe in November and December.

The PCB said in a statement that the team will play three One Day Internationals (ODI) and three Twenty20 Internationals (T20I) in each country.

The Australia tour will take place from November 4 to 18, followed by matches in Zimbabwe's Bulawayo from November 24 to December 5, said the PCB.

Key players Babar Azam, Naseem Shah and Shaheen Shah Afridi, who were rested from the last two Tests against England at home, will rejoin the team for Australia but will be rested for the Zimbabwe tour.

The PCB added that the rotation policy will provide match experience to domestic performers in preparation for the Champions Trophy and other international fixtures.

The ODI squad sees fresh talent, including uncapped players Aamir Jamal, Arafat Minhas, Faisal Akram, Haseebullah, Muhammad Irfan Khan and Saim Ayub.

Meanwhile, Jahandad Khan and Salman Ali Agha have earned their debut spots in the T20I squad. Kamran Ghulam, Omair Bin Yousuf, and Sufyan Moqim, who previously participated in limited-overs internationals, will also join the national side for these tours.

Selectors have opted for a mix of young talent and experienced players across both formats, aligning with the PCB's strategy of building depth in the squad, said the statement.

Later in the day, the PCB also named wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan as the new captain and all-rounder Agha Salman as vice-captain for Pakistan's white-ball cricket formats.

The decision followed former captain Babar Azam's October 2 announcement to step down from his roles as ODI and T20I captain to focus on his individual performance.  

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