Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir is scheduled to host an iftar for the Pakistan cricket team on April 7 in Rawalpindi.
Currently, the national team is undergoing a fitness camp in Kakul, Abbottabad, with training and gym exercises taking place at the Army School of Physical Training (ASPT).
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Sources suggest that the fitness camp, initially planned to conclude on April 8, might wrap up a day earlier than previously announced.
On April 7, players will travel from Abbottabad to Rawalpindi for the iftar event during Ramadan. Following the iftar, players will return home ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr.
The players called up for the camp include:
Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, Saim Ayub, Fakhar Zaman, Sahibzada Farhan, Haseebullah, Saud Shakeel, Usman Khan, Mohammad Haris, Salman Ali Agha, Azam Khan, Iftikhar Ahmed, Irfan Khan Niazi, Shadab Khan, Imad Wasim, Usama Mir, Mohammad Nawaz, Mehran Mumtaz, Abrar Ahmed, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Hasan Ali, Mohammad Ali, Zaman Khan, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Aamir Jamal, Haris Rauf, and Mohammad Amir.
It’s worth noting that New Zealand is expected to arrive in Pakistan on April 14 for a five-match T20I series. The series will commence with three T20Is at the Pindi Cricket Stadium in Rawalpindi on April 18, 20, and 21. Subsequently, both teams will move to Lahore for the remaining two T20Is on April 25 and 27, respectively. All matches will commence at 7:00 pm (PST).
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Michael Bracewell will lead the New Zealand team during their tour of Pakistan. Several key players such as Trent Boult, Devon Conway, Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Mitch Santner, and Kane Williamson will miss the series due to Indian Premier League commitments. Additionally, Colin Munro is unavailable for selection, while Tim Southee has been rested. Will Young and Tom Latham are also unavailable for selection due to prior commitments.
Notably, Tim Robinson from Wellington and Will O’Rourke from Canterbury have been selected for the first time in New Zealand’s T20I squad.
Pakistan’s squad for the series is expected to be announced within the next couple of days.