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Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan and Shaheen Shah Afridi could be in line to earn as much as PKR 4.5 million a month as a retainer

Osman Samiuddin04-Aug-2023Pakistan’s players are set to receive “historic” increases in their new central contracts, even as negotiations on their participation in overseas T20 leagues continue. Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan and Shaheen Shah Afridi, in the top category of contracts, could be in line to earn as much as PKR 4.5 million (USD 15,900 approx) a month as a retainer, four times as much as was on offer to top players in last year’s contracts.The new contracts are likely to do away with last year’s format where red- and white-ball players were split, and return to previous years with four different categories of players. Babar, Rizwan and Afridi, as captain and cross-format stars, will be in category A.Category B players are in line to receive in the region of PKR 3 million (USD 10,600 approx), while those in category C and D will get between PKR 0.75-1.5 million (USD 2650-5300 approx). The retainer values, if signed off on, represent the biggest increase in years, as part of an overall offering that was, according to officials, “historic”.The hike is offset somewhat by the sharp depreciation of the Pakistan rupee in the last year, as well as an economy in which inflation has been spiralling out of control. But even accounting for that, the retainer increase is more than double, at least across the top category. It also comes a year before the ICC’s new revenue distribution model kicks in, in which the PCB’s annual earnings of PKR 9.6 billion approx (USD 34 million) are more than double what they were over the last ICC rights cycle.Related

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• Pakistan players and PCB close to reaching common ground on new contracts

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• Pakistan's leading players agree to amended central contracts

• PCB to deny NOC to Pakistani players for BBL, no clarity on new ILT20 or CSA league

That will make a significant difference for players who have been among the lowest paid internationally, a position exacerbated by often restrictive policies around playing in foreign T20 leagues. Pakistan’s players are not allowed to play in the IPL and their participation in other leagues has been subject traditionally to changing policies each time a new administration comes in.Only last year, leading players delayed signing the contracts because they were unhappy with the restrictive terms around playing in leagues, under the then administration of Ramiz Raja. That was the second time since 2019 that players had expressed unhappiness with terms, which is as close to a labour dispute as is possible in a landscape without a players’ association.The number of leagues players will be allowed to participate in next year has not yet been finalised but is part of ongoing negotiations. As things stand, players in the top two categories are to be allowed one league other than the PSL, with those in the lower categories to be allowed more than one.But there is likely to be flexibility on the issue and that clause could change by the time the contracts are finalised. Usman Wahla, the PCB’s international director, and more recently Misbah-ul-Haq, as an advisor to Zaka Ashraf, have been leading discussions, talking to a group of senior players.Importantly, there is a recognition within the PCB that players who are not a part of these leagues are missing out on big, potentially life-changing earnings. In some cases, senior players in demand on the league circuit could make two to three times more per year from league deals than they do now.There is also an acknowledgement that, in terms of planning, the league circuit needs to be treated as a separate 12-month calendar and players’ commitments worked out accordingly. Najam Sethi, Ashraf’s predecessor as board head, had also been planning a more open policy with regard to leagues and had been negotiating with the ILT20 about the participation of Pakistan players this season.The ILT20 was a particularly thorny issue last season, the PCB demanding a fee from the league for each player who took part. Part of that was also because the ILT20 took place in a busy home season for Pakistan in which their best players were bound to be taking part.Domestic contracts will also be presented to players soon, with likely increased retainers as well as the prospect of enhanced earnings by playing in two first-class tournaments, one for regional teams and one for department-based sides.Final discussions are due to take place with players over the weekend, the results of which will be presented to Ashraf early next week.

Vihari is not sure why he suddenly found himself out of the Test side, but feels he has the time and the skills to make another impression – and not just in red-ball cricket

Shashank Kishore11-Jul-2023On India’s previous tour of the Caribbean in 2019, Hanuma Vihari realised his childhood dream of scoring a Test century. Four years on and 10 Tests later, Vihari finds himself at a crossroads.When Cheteshwar Pujara was dropped during the home series against Sri Lanka early last year, Vihari replaced him at No. 3. It’s a spot he managed to hold on to for just three Tests, in which he made scores of 58, 31, 35, 20 and 11.Two of those innings were on a rank turner in Bengaluru where India beat Sri Lanka in under three days. Two others were in Birmingham, in the fifth Test against England in July last year, where there was seam and swing to counter. Not new, but certainly challenging.Related

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• The slow burn finish that took South into the Duleep Trophy final

• Pujara – back to the grind, back to grinding bowlers down

• Shaw: 'Sometimes you have to step back and then go forward'

• Vihari: 'I play to win, even if batting with one hand or one leg'

Vihari hasn’t played for India since that Test. His overall numbers read: 839 runs in 28 innings with five fifties and one hundred. At 29, Vihari is now trying to find a balance between manufacturing a comeback and trying to maximise every opportunity that comes his way.On Wednesday, the same day Vihari leads out South Zone in the Duleep Trophy final against West Zone in Bengaluru, it’s likely India will field a debutant in Yashasvi Jaiswal at No. 3, half a world away in Dominica against West Indies.Vihari isn’t one to hope for someone to fail for him to get his chance, but after months of letting the feeling of being dropped gnaw at him, he says he has learnt to let go and is now only focusing on starting afresh.”It’s always tough to make a comeback,” Vihari said in Bengaluru during the Duleep Trophy semi-final, where he made a quickfire 43 on a tense final day to seal victory. “Once you’re dropped, it plays on your mental side as well. It affects your mindset. I’ve gone through that last season.”This season, I want to keep everything aside and focus on my batting, try to get better at my skills and do what I’ve been doing best for the last 12 years in first-class cricket. If it happens, it happens. If not, I’ll try to keep getting better and help my state side or zone.”Vihari admits finding motivation can be hard after being dropped. But he’s also aware there is no other way out but to find new answers to old questions.”It’s very tough to be motivated. That’s where family really plays a part. They’ve been supportive, they understand what I’m going through. It’s a difficult phase. If anyone says we are motivated to come back, maybe they are.”For me, it took a lot of time to understand why I was dropped and then to again get motivated to try and make a comeback. I try to work on my game both mentally and physically. Now I’m in a good space; I want to go out there and get runs. The rest I leave it to the selectors.”Vihari isn’t sure why he was dropped at the time he was but wants to draw inspiration from Ajinkya Rahane’s comeback story. A year and a half after being left out, Rahane returned to the Indian team for the World Test Championship final and is now in the Caribbean as vice-captain of the Test side.”I’m not sure still,” Vihari said when asked if he’d found an answer to why he was left out. “I thought whenever I got a chance, I did my best. Maybe my best was not good enough for the Indian team. But again, I will try to keep getting better. That’s all you can do as a sportsman. Keep getting better in different aspects. I’ll continue doing that this coming season.”Hope is always there until you retire that you can come back. I’m still 29 and have a lot of time to go. I’ve seen Ajinkya Rahane make a comeback at 35. I have a long way to go. I still feel I can contribute to the Indian side in the Test format, especially if I can get some runs in the domestic season.”1:59

Back to Ajinkya Rahane: India’s merry-go-round with Test vice-captains

Vihari, though, knows he doesn’t have the benefit that Rahane enjoyed – an IPL season to further his case. He played the last of his 24 IPL games in 2019, aggregating 284 runs in the competition overall at a strike rate of 88.47, and has gone unsold at the auctions since. Vihari said he has worked on his white-ball game but perceptions that he is a “Test player” haven’t helped.”You can’t do anything, I was doing commentary this season,” Vihari said when asked what one could possibly do in the situation he finds himself in, where he doesn’t play in the IPL.”Everyone says ‘he’s a Test player’, they brand me as a Test player. I don’t think its fair. I have grown as a white-ball player as well, but many don’t believe that because they brand you as a certain player, only red-ball or white-ball. It’s not fair on both sides.”A quality player can play all formats. If you’ve seen me over the years, I’ve been contributing to all teams. Hopefully I can make a comeback in IPL and white-ball to be seen more in public. Many players have been making a comeback in IPL and getting opportunities in red-ball cricket. Going forward, I want to play all formats. I want to be challenged in all formats. I’m just 29, I’m looking to make a comeback in all formats.”

This is the first ODI squad Nepal have announced since Gyanendra Malla’s retirement

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Aug-2023Uncapped offspinner Mousom Dhakal has been called up to Nepal’s squad for the Asia Cup. The squad also includes the batter Sundeep Jora, who missed out on Nepal’s campaign at the World Cup Qualifier in Zimbabwe in June.Batting allrounder Rohit Paudel, who has led Nepal to 17 wins in 27 ODIs so far, will continue to captain the side.Dhakal is yet to play top-level international cricket but he played for Nepal recently at the ACC Men’s Emerging Cup, picking up two wickets in their only win of the tournament, against UAE A. Jora also played that match, contributing a 15-ball 24 to Nepal’s successful chase of 158.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Fast-bowling allrounder Sompal Kami also played the Emerging Cup after recovering from the hand injury that forced him to pull out midway through the World Cup Qualifier. He is expected to lead Nepal’s pace attack at the Asia Cup alongside Karan KC.This is the first ODI squad Nepal have announced since the retirement of their former captain Gyanendra Malla earlier this month.Nepal have been drawn in Group A of the six-team Asia Cup, alongside Pakistan and India. They are scheduled to face co-hosts Pakistan in Multan on August 30, and meet India in Pallekele on September 4.Nepal men’s ODI squad: Rohit Paudel (capt), Kushal Bhurtel, Aasif Sheikh (wk), Bhim Sharki, Kushal Malla, Aarif Sheikh, Dipendra Singh Airee, Gulshan Jha, Sompal Kami, Karan KC, Sandeep Lamichhane, Lalit Rajbanshi, Pratish GC, Mousom Dhakal, Sundeep Jora, Kishore Mahato, Arjun Saud

McSweeney made a stunning 100 and McAndrew took four wickets to put South Australia on the brink of victory over NSW in Adelaide

AAP and ESPNCricinfo17-Oct-2023New South Wales are reeling towards a 14th straight Sheffield Shield game without a win after a stunning spell former Blues junior Nathan McAndrew and a brilliant 100 from Nathan McSweeney put South Australia well on top in Adelaide.The Blues went to stumps on day three at Adelaide Oval on 99 for 6, still needing 224 more runs to chase down their fourth-innings target of 323.After taking 5 for 42 in the first innings, McAndrew was again the main destroyer on Tuesday as he took four wickets for the Redbacks to leave the Blues in trouble.Former Blue Harry Conway and Wes Agar also chimed in with one wicket each. NSW wicketkeeper Matthew Gilkes was left fuming when given out lbw to Agar to a ball that appeared to hit him outside off stump late in the day, swinging his bat in anger as he walked up the players’ race.McAndrew’s wickets included Daniel Hughes in the shadows of stumps, caught behind on 58 after being close to the last resistance for the Blues.McAndrew also trapped Kurtis Patterson lbw for 10, and had Ryan Hackney and Moises Henriques caught behind cheaply in similar fashion.At one stage McAndrew had figures of 3 for 6 after eight overs, before Hughes hit him for back-to-back boundaries through the offside. The seamer finished the day with 4 for 19.Born in Wollongong and a Sydney Thunder player in the BBL, McAndrew was never given the chance to represent NSW in the Sheffield Shield. But after making his debut for the Redbacks two seasons ago, he has proven a nemesis for the Blues. He took 6 for 97 against NSW at the end of last summer, before his nine wickets in this match.NSW’s situation comes despite debutant Jack Nisbet taking 5 for 53 in South Australia’s second innings on Tuesday.But it was McSweeney who stole the show for the hosts, scoring his third first-class century before being bowled by Nisbet for an even 100.McSweeney was the last man out for the Redbacks when he dragged a ball back onto his own stumps, after going from 72 to 100 with No.11 Conway down the other end.The Redbacks had lost their first-round match to Tasmania, but have been much improved with the ball in this match.NSW have not won a match in the Shield since way back in February 2022, after going without a victory last season and drawing with Queensland in the opening round of this summer.

The visitors declared at tea on the second day in a game hit by rain but could only claim one wicket

AAP07-Nov-2023Nathan McSweeney’s century against his former Queensland Sheffield Shield team-mates allowed South Australia to declare at tea on day two and chase a result in their rain-hit Gabba clash.Wet weather again stole time away from both sides early on Tuesday before Redbacks batters Henry Hunt (162) and McSweeney (112 not out) continued what they had started a day earlier.Hunt was finally dismissed trying to launch Mark Steketee into the grandstand to end a 212-run stand, South Australia then pushing the pace before declaring at the tea break.Related

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• Harris makes up for lean start with big hundred as draw looms

Queensland reached stumps at 82 for 1, 277 runs behind. Matt Renshaw was the only wicket to fall, the left-hander’s breezy knock ending when he clipped a ball off his pads to a juggling Jake Fraser-McGurk at square leg.Bryce Street started carefully before playing his shots while Joe Burns was cautious to ensure no further damage was done before bad light stopped play.It was former Australian Under-19 talent McSweeney’s second Shield century this season and third in 22 first-class games. He debuted for Queensland as a 19-year-old in 2018 before moving to South Australia ahead of the 2021-22 summer and has captained Australia A this year.”Coming from Queensland, I haven’t got [first-class] runs at the Gabba before,” the 24-year-old said. “Nice to spend time in the middle with grandad here, and dad.”The Gabba’s ticked off now so hopefully more to come. There will be long days now [to make up for time lost to rain], there’s still some time to catch up and if we bowl well tomorrow we’ll get a good chance to win this game.”

He has been sent for an MRI scan, but his participation in the second Test appears unlikely

Danyal Rasool20-Dec-2023Pakistan’s preparations for the second Test in Melbourne have been dealt a setback after Khurram Shahzad became a significant doubt for the game. Shahzad complained of discomfort in his left side while bowling during the first Test, and has now been sent for an MRI scan. The results for which will come back on Thursday, but ESPNcricinfo understands the his participation in the second is on balance unlikely.While Shahzad was never an express fast bowler, his speeds were down slightly in the second innings. This did not prevent him from being effective, however, as he was Pakistan’s most prolific bowler in the innings, taking 3 for 45 in his 16 overs.Shahzad, alongside fellow debutant Aamer Jamal, was among the few bright sparks for Pakistan in an otherwise miserable performance from the visitors, who slumped to a 360-run defeat with a day to spare. He took five wickets across the Test, including the removal of Steven Smith in each innings. He found more sideways movement through the air than any other Pakistan bowler, and offered control more reliably than any other frontline bowler; he was the most economical of the four over the Test.Shahzad’s doubt adds to Pakistan’s growing bowling injury woes. Naseem Shah was ruled out of the tour with a long-term injury, while Abrar Ahmed missed the first Test with discomfort in his right leg. He is a significant doubt for the whole tour.His replacement Noman Ali sustained a finger injury according to head coach Mohammad Hafeez. Sajid Khan, flown in as cover, arrived too late to play the first Test, and is expected to take his place in the second with Pakistan seeking to play a specialist spinner.Should Shahzad miss out, Pakistan have Hasan Ali and Mohammad Wasim Jnr in the squad. The second Test starts on December 26 in Melbourne. Pakistan will play a two-day game against a Victorian XI side at the Junction Oval starting December 22. It will not be a first-class game, allowing Pakistan to give a run to as many players as they need.

Maxwell and Matthew Wade finished in a blizzard of boundaries after the equation came down to 43 off 12 balls

Sreshth Shah28-Nov-20233:33

Takeaways: Maxwell’s epic, Ruturaj’s blinder, Behrendorff’s magic

Ruturaj Gaikwad slammed an unbeaten 123 to lead India to an imposing 222 in Guwahati, but Glenn Maxwell’s unbeaten 104 stunned the hosts as Australia pulled off a miraculous come-from-behind victory to keep the T20I series alive at 2-1.Australia had kept pace with the asking rate for most of the innings courtesy a spunky cameo from Travis Head and Maxwell’s aggression. When it came down to Axar Patel’s 19th and Prasidh’s 20th, Maxwell and Matthew Wade feasted in dewy conditions, finding the boundary at will even when Australia needed 43 off 12 balls, 21 off six, and two off the last ball. Maxwell hit the last four balls for 6, 4, 4, 4, drilling Prasidh Krishna down the ground at the finish to silence the home crowd.Mathew Wade and Glenn Maxwell added 91 off 40 balls to take Australia to victory•BCCI

Maxwell owns the night

Maxwell entered at 66 for 2 in the sixth over, after Avesh Khan had ended Travis Head’s boundary-laden 35 in 18 balls. He took an early liking to Prasidh, smacking two sixes and a four in the eighth over to race away to 25 in 10. But Ravi Bishnoi’s dismissal of Josh Inglis and Axar’s of Marcus Stoinis put a brake on Australia’s run rate.Still, 88 off 39 in tough bowling conditions was always game on. Maxwell would have known this himself, having conceded 30 in the final over of India’s innings. He started the charge towards the target by thumping Avesh for six and four in the 16th and launching back-to-back sixes off Arshdeep in the 17th.A tidy 18th from Prasidh put the pressure back on Australia, but an expensive 19th from Axar, culminating in an error from Ishan Kishan behind the stumps brought the equation down to 21 off six balls. Wade and Maxwell got right on top of Prasidh, whose plans went awry with India’s slow over rate necessitating that he bowl with an extra fielder in the 30-yard circle. Prasidh went short, full and wide, and short and wide across the over, and it didn’t seem to matter, particularly to Maxwell.Ruturaj Gaikwad finished on 123* off 57 balls•Sportzpics

Gaikwad breaks free after Behrendorff’s miserly start

After Australia chose to bowl, Jason Behrendroff impressed on his return to the side with 17 dots in his four-over spell of 1 for 12. But Australia leaked 210 across their other 16 overs, including 64 in four from Aaron Hardie: the joint-most expensive spell in T20Is for Australia.Gaikwad was on a run-a-ball 22 when Suryakumar Yadav fell for 39 in the 11th over, with India’s score 81 for 3. Australia had an opening to plug the run flow initiated by Suryakumar after Yashasvi Jaiswal and Ishan Kishan had fallen cheaply, but Hardie and Tanveer Sangha allowed Gaikwad to shift gears with some loose bowling. Gaikwad pulled them confidently when they dropped it short, and dispatched the full ones in the arc between long-on and deep extra-cover. This spurt of scoring enabled him to bring up his half-century in 32 balls.It was in the last three overs that the floodgates really opened, as India added 67 to their total. Gaikwad carted Hardie for three sixes and a four in the 18th over, before Nathan Ellis pulled things back slightly with a 12-run 19th. Wade went with Maxwell’s offspin for the 20th, however, and Gaikwad took full toll of the favourable match-up, clubbing three sixes and two fours in a 30-run over that took India to an imposing 222. Along the way, he brought up his century off 52 balls, and finished on 123 off 57.

Dercksen, Shangase, Sekhukhune and Goodall missed out from the South Africa squad that played Bangladesh at home

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Jan-2024Chloe Tryon has recovered from a groin injury and returned to South Africa’s white-ball squads for the women’s multi-format tour of Australia. Ayanda Hlubi, who made an impressive T20I debut against Bangladesh, received her maiden call-up to the ODI side.Tryon has been out of action since the WBBL and last played the home series against New Zealand in October. Marizanne Kapp, Nadine de Klerk and Ayabonga Khaka, all of whom missed the T20Is but were part of the ODIs against Bangladesh, were named in the 15-member squad that will be captained by Laura Wolvaardt.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

From those that played South Africa’s last home series, Annerie Dercksen, Nondumiso Shangase, Tumi Sekhukhune and Lara Goodall missed out for the Australia tour, that starts on January 27 with three T20Is followed by three ODIs beginning February 3, before the one-off Test, the first between the two sides.Related

• Hilton Moreeng to continue as South Africa women's head coach until end of 2023-24 season

“It’s a very competitive squad. It is a mixture of youngsters and experience, and everyone is looking forward to it,” head coach Hilton Moreeng, whose contract was extended till the end of the ongoing season, said. “It was a very good year for us as a team in 2023, so we look forward to building on that.”We touched on our skills regarding the white ball, where we are going, and what is required, so the selected squad is very well-balanced and competitive, and we are very confident going into Australia.”The first two T20Is will be played at the Manuka Oval in Canberra while the third will be at Bellerive Oval in Hobart. After the first ODI in Adelaide, the teams play the next two at the North Sydney Oval before travelling to Perth for the only Test match at the WACA.

Legspinner available across all formats, Pakistan left-armer joins for first seven red-ball games

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Mar-2024Mir Hamza, the Pakistan left-arm seamer, has signed to play for Glamorgan in the first half of the upcoming County Championship season. He will be joined in Cardiff by Mason Crane after Hampshire allowed the legspinner to join Glamorgan on a season-long loan.Mark Wallace, Glamorgan’s director of cricket, hailed the arrival of Crane, describing the 27-year-old as “a high-quality player who gives us an attacking skill set in all formats”. Crane has played a Test and two T20Is for England, most recently in 2018, but struggled with injury. He was a Blast winner with Hampshire in 2022 but only played 14 times for the club last season.”I’m very thankful for the opportunity at Glamorgan and incredibly excited to get to work and push towards a successful season with the team,” Crane said.Hampshire’s director of cricket, Giles White, said the move would help Crane’s development but that he could be recalled if needed. “Mason hasn’t had the game time here at Hampshire over the last couple of years and time with Glamorgan offers him the opportunity to play first XI cricket across the formats,” he said.”Having had many conversations with him, we both feel that this is the best for his career and the development of his game. The deal is structured in a way that allows his return if we need him later in the season.”Hamza, 31, has been capped five times in Tests, most recently on Pakistan’s 2023-24 tour of Australia. He has taken 434 first-class wickets at an average of 22.40, and previously represented Sussex and Warwickshire in county cricket.”It’s excellent news that Mir has agreed to join us at the start of the season,” Wallace said. “He’s an international bowler with a fine record and previous experience in county cricket. We’re looking forward to welcoming him to Cardiff.”Mir Hamza has played five Tests for Pakistan•Getty Images

Hamza’s signing comes in the wake of Grant Bradburn’s appointment as head coach. Bradburn previously held a number of roles at the PCB, including assistant and head coach, before joining up with Glamorgan last month.Bradburn said: “As coach, I am excited for our group to add such an experienced performer in Mir Hamza. Having worked with Mir previously in Pakistan, I have full confidence that Mir will add huge value to our team both on and off the field.”Hamza, who had a short stint at Warwickshire last year and played for Sussex in 2019, will be available for Glamorgan’s first seven Championship games up until the end of May.Hamza said: “I am thrilled to be joining Glamorgan for the County Championship this summer. It will be exciting to work with Grant again after working with him with Pakistan, and I can’t wait to join up with the squad, get to training and help this great club push for a positive start to the season. I have heard many great things about Cardiff from my team-mates who played there last summer and look forward to meeting all of the supporters.”The club also announced a dual-captaincy appointment for the summer, with Sam Northeast taking the reins in the Championship and Kiran Carlson leading in white ball. Northeast, now in his third season at Glamorgan, succeeds David Lloyd after the allrounder left to join Derbyshire.Glamorgan finished fifth in Division Two in the 2023 Championship, drawing 12 of their 14 games.

Imad Wasim, Mohammad Amir and Haris Rauf are part of the training camp as well

Danyal Rasool25-Mar-2024UAE’s Pakistan-born top-order batter Usman Khan has been called up to Pakistan’s training camp with the army in Kakul. In a clear sign of Pakistan’s desire to lure him to play international cricket for the country of his birth, Usman was named alongside 28 other players for the camp, which runs from March 26 to April 8.There is, however, no word yet from the PCB concerning Usman’s inclusion, or any official change to his status as a UAE player. Over the past month, he played in the PSL as a registered overseas player, racking up the second-highest run tally in the tournament. Before the PSL, Usman also played in the ILT20, which is the UAE’s own franchise T20 league, and the Abu Dhabi T10 just before that, both as a local player for the UAE.And earlier this month, in an interview with ESPNcricinfo, Usman had appeared to downplay his chances of featuring for Pakistan in the near future, citing his determination to instead complete the residency period to qualify for the UAE. However, another 14 months still remain before he becomes eligible to represent UAE.Related

• UAE investigating Pakistan-bound Usman Khan for breach of contract

• Mohammad Amir comes out of retirement for T20 World Cup

• Imad Wasim comes out of retirement for T20 World Cup

• PCB chief hints Pakistan could get a new T20I captain

Usman had pointed to the uncertainty in Pakistan, as well as the ease of procuring no-objection certificates from the Emirates Cricket Board, as reasons to switch allegiances. But given he has not yet played for the UAE, Usman can still switch back to Pakistan without any waiting period. However, with the speed with which developments have taken place at the PCB’s end, it seems almost certain that Usman will be included in Pakistan’s squad for the upcoming five-match T20I series against New Zealand, with a firm eye on the T20 World Cup in the West Indies and the USA in June.

Imad, Amir and Rauf also part of the camp

Pakistan’s training camp also marks the return of two players who recently reversed their decisions to retire, and declared ambitions to play for Pakistan anew. Imad Wasim, whose success in the PSL and whose track record in the CPL makes him an enticing prospect for Pakistan, came out of retirement over the weekend. He was followed by Mohammad Amir, who said he still dreamed about playing for Pakistan, and was thus making himself available.Haris Rauf, who is currently recovering from a shoulder injury, is also included after his central contract was reinstated by the PCB.

Pakistan training camp members

Aamer Jamal, Abrar Ahmed, Azam Khan, Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Haseebullah, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Irfan Khan, Mehran Mumtaz, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Haris, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Saud Shakeel, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usama Mir, Usman Khan, Zaman Khan