Pak Vs NZ: Green shirts leave for Whangarei ahead of match against NZ A

On Monday, a 22-member Pakistan cricket team squad including the support staff have left for the northern city of Whangarei in New Zealand ahead of the first T20 against the black caps scheduled on December 17.

The Pakistan cricket team is in New Zealand to play two four-day games and six T20 games against New Zealand A and other domestic sides.

📸 Pakistan team intra squad match at Queenstown#HarHaalMainCricket #BackTheBoysInGreen pic.twitter.com/6w9NBZuOXt

— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) December 14, 2020

Earlier, Pakistan captain Babar Azam had been ruled out of New Zealand T20Is after suffering a fracture in his right thumb during Sunday morning’s practice session.

World’s second-ranked T20I batsman suffered the injury during a throw-down session, following which he was taken to a local hospital where X-rays confirmed the fracture. As such, Babar will be unable to attend nets for, at least, 12 days, meaning he will not be available for the 18, 20, and 22 December T20Is to be played in Auckland, Hamilton, and Napier, respectively.

During this period, the doctors will continue to monitor Babar’s injury before confirming his participation in the first Test, which starts at Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui, on 26 December.

Babar suffered the injury a day after Imam-ul-Haq had fractured his left thumb also during a throw-down session. Imam had also been advised a 12-day rest, which confirmed his non-availability for the Pakistan Shaheens’ four-day match against New Zealand ‘A’, which starts in Whangarei on Thursday, December 17.

Black Caps T20 Squad Game 1

Mitchell Santner (c)
Todd Astle
Doug Bracewell
Mark Chapman

Devon Conway
Jacob Duffy
Martin Guptill
Scott Kuggeleijn
Jimmy Neesham
Glenn Phillips
Tim Seifert (wk)
Ish Sodhi
Blair Tickner

Black Caps T20 Squad Games 2 And 3

Kane Williamson (c)
Todd Astle

Trent Boult
Devon Conway
Martin Guptill
Kyle Jamieson
Scott Kuggeleijn
Daryl Mitchell
Jimmy Neesham
Glenn Phillips
Tim Seifert (wk)
Ish Sodhi
Tim Southee

Pakistan Squad For New Zealand T20Is:

Babar Azam (captain), Shadab Khan (vice-captain), Abdullah Shafique, Faheem Ashraf, Haider Ali, Haris Rauf, Hussain Talat, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Hafeez, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Musa Khan, Mohammad Rizwan, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usman Qadir and Wahab Riaz.

Pakistan V New Zealand T20Is:

18 Dec – 1st T20I, Eden Park, Auckland

20 Dec – 2nd T20I, Seddon Park, Hamilton

22 Dec – 3rd T20I, McLean Park, Napier