• Afridi believes Azam should have many options ahead of  World Cup 2023.
• Naseem Shah stated that Pakistan will have enough ODI matches in 2023.
• It should be mentioned that Pakistan’s penultimate couple.

Shahid Afridi, the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Interim Selection Committee, believes that skipper Babar Azam should have plenty of choices ahead of the World Cup in India in October-November 2023.

On Saturday, the great all-rounder offered his opinions while hosting a dinner for the Pakistan cricket team at his Karachi home.

“We have given new players a chance in the next New Zealand series because we want to give Babar plenty of options to finalise the World Cup combination,” the former captain explained.

Meanwhile, Naseem Shah stated that Pakistan will have enough ODI matches in 2023 to prepare for the mega event.

“There is still some time before the World Cup, but we have a lot of matches ahead of it that will help us prepare sufficiently,” the right-armer added.

It should be mentioned that Pakistan’s penultimate couple, Naseem Shah and Abrar Ahmed, survived 21 balls in losing light on Friday, while Sarfaraz Ahmed produced a fighting century to deny New Zealand a victory, bringing the second Test to a thrilling draw.

With 39 balls remaining in the match, New Zealand were on the verge of a series-clinching win after removing Sarfaraz for a career-high 118.

However, as dusk fell, Naseem hit 15 and Ahmed seven to help Pakistan reach 304-9 in pursuit of a 319-run target when umpires Alex Wharf and Aleem Dar ruled the light unfit to continue with three overs remaining.

The two-match series finished in a stalemate after the first Test, also in Karachi, ended in a tie, depriving New Zealand of their first series win in Pakistan in 53 years.

“It was an entertaining series and as a player we appreciated that a lot. “I’m sure the fans had a great time since New Zealand is one of the best teams in the world,” middle-order hitter Agha Salman said.

Shaheen Shah Afridi, who missed the series owing to injury, was also pleased with the comeback performed by Pakistan.

“The Pakistani team mounted a tremendous comeback in the second Test [against New Zealand],” the article stated. We saw a number of excellent performances, which bodes well for our team. “The entire squad supports each other,” Shaheen added.

Pakistan will now play three One-Day Internationals (ODIs) against New Zealand in Karachi. The matches will be held at the National Bank Cricket Arena (NBCA) on January 9, 11, and 13.

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