LAHORE: Emphasising the national ODI and T20 squads were finalised after developing complete consensus with stakeholders including captain Babar Azam, chief selector Haroon Rasheed on Wednesday hinted there would not be any big experiments with not much time left in this year’s Asia Cup and the ICC World Cup.

Pakistan are set to host the Asia Cup in September before participating in the all-important 50-over ICC World Cup in India in October-November while the 2024 ICC T20 World Cup is scheduled to be staged during June in the US and West Indies.

“Time is short before the [major international] one-day events start; we have only eight ODIs, five against New Zealand and later three against Afghanistan. While there is time before next year’s T20 World Cup, the major 50-over events are just a few months away. So, there is no time to go for major experiments before these events,” former Test cricketer Haroon said while addressing a news conference in Lahore.

The ODI and T20 squads picked by the Haroon-led selection committee for the home series against New Zealand were announced through a press release on Tuesday. Pakistan and New Zealand will play five T20 Internationals and as many ODIs from April 14 to May 7.

To a question, Haroon said both the national squads had been picked after thorough consultations with all stakeholders including Babar.

“Babar is our captain with whom we have held two, three meetings regarding the team selection. The squads were finalised after detailed discussions with Babar and subsequent agreement on selections,” he added. “There were absolutely no differences.

“The matter of the team’s coaching staff is a work in progress which will hopefully be finalised within a week,” Haroon further said.

Responding to a question, Haroon said the PCB had formed a strategy to prepare the national team for the Asia Cup and the World Cup.

“Given the small number of ODIs Pakistan are going to play this year before these two major events, we have made a strategy to keep our players match-ready. The Future Tours Programme was set quite a while ago. Therefore, arranging a series at this stage with any country does not seem possible,” he said.

“In this scenario, we have planned to hold a series of matches [at home] between Pakistan and the rest of Pakistan players taken from a pool of 40-45 players so that we can be in a position to select the best national squad in the end,” Haroon added.

“Babar is already onboard in this plan while the same will be discussed with the soon-to-be-decided coaching staff.”

Answering a query over the selection of left-hander Haris Sohail for the New Zealand ODIs, Haroon reckoned he was an outstanding batter and would prove useful on sub-continent pitches.

“Haris performed well in the [last] three ODIs held in Karachi against New Zealand in January. Pakistan need a player like him to strengthen the middle order,” the chief selector said.

Interestingly in the three New Zealand ODIs Haroon referred to, the 34-year-old batter managed scores of 32, 10 and 22.When he was told about this, Haroon said, “If Haris regains form and fitness, he can strengthen the middle-order.”

To a question on Imad Wasim who was retained for the New Zealand T20s, Haroon said the all-rounder was not taken in the ODI team because he had not featured in that format for around two and a half years and had only played franchise cricket during that time.

“Now when he plays in T20 Internationals, his fitness in top-level games will be on display and how he can make a comeback for the longer version ODI contests,” he stated.

On dropping Azam Khan for the New Zealand T20s, Haroon said the wicket-keeper/batter had struggled during the series against Afghanistan in Sharjah, and advised all cricketers to themselves note and remove their shortcomings in order to stage a comeback in the national team.

“It is not the end for Azam, or for that matter, any other player. While wicket-keeper/batters Mohammad Rizwan and Mohammad Haris are already in the [national] team set-up, Azam remains in the pipeline.”

When asked if there were several openers who were part of the T20 squad, the chief selector said the batting role in the shortest format had become different.

“In a very fast and flexible T20 cricket, I think there is no middle-order as such. Every player is expected to bat at any position according to the situation to lift the run-rate in short bursts,” Haroon remarked.

Terming Pakistan’s bowling attack formidable, the chief selector expected Pakistan to do well against New Zealand.

On whether the PCB had made any contact with discarded fast bowler Mohammad Amir, Haroon said the Board did not need to contact cricketers noting it was their performances which forced the PCB to recall any player.

Meanwhile, the training camp of Pakistan’s ODI and T20 squads for the New Zealand series starts in Lahore on Friday as the newly-appointed foreign coaches’ panel headed by Mickey Arthur had not been announced yet officially by the PCB nor their arrival programme is confirmed.

According to sources, the coaching staff is now expected to arrive on April 11 but the PCB in this regard is tight-lipped.

Abdul Rehman, who was appointed Pakistan head coach for the recent T20 series against Afghanistan in Sharjah, will conduct the camp as head coach.

Published in Dawn, April 6th, 2023