New Delhi: Babar Azam is back as the skipper for Pakistan cricket team as they take on New Zealand in the rehearsal of the T20 World Cup. Both the sides lock horns in five T20I matches starting on Thursday at Rawalpindi in what is believed to be a build-up for the showpiece event.
Azam, who quit as the skipper of Pakistan after the team’s poor run at the ODI World Cup 2023, was reappointed as the captain of the side in place of Shaheen Shah Afridi, who remain engulfed in controversies in his short stint at the helm. Apart from experiencing failures, Afridi could not taste any success during his stint at the helm which invited a lot of criticism for his captaincy skills.
The Men-in-Green have been experiencing a poor run since last year at both the big stages as well as the bilateral clashes. The team headed by Azam will surely be aiming at breaking the shackles at the T20 World Cup which is the perfect stage for them to prove a mark after a long time. The five-match series against the Kiwis will serve as practice for the big-stage event which knocks the doors on June 1, 2024.
Former cricketer Azhar Mahmood, who is the head coach of the side, has said that the showpiece event in the United States and West Indies is very much on their minds and they look forward to be back in shape at the prestigious event. “I have full faith in the selected squad and the morale is very high in the team, so we will overcome all the shortcomings so that we can do our best in the World Cup,” he told AFP.
“You cannot take any team lightly in the T20 format and if New Zealand is missing their key players then there is an opportunity for their young players,” Mahmood added.

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