AUCKLAND: Pakistan’s T20I squad is scheduled to depart from Auckland, New Zealand, on Monday, with their arrival in Pakistan expected on Tuesday following a brief layover in Dubai.
After landing in Dubai, the players will disperse to their respective cities. However, T20I captain Shaheen Afridi and wicketkeeper Azam Khan will remain in Dubai to participate in the ongoing ILT20 as members of Desert Vipers.
Players and their respective destinations after arriving in Dubai include Iftikhar Ahmed and Sahibzada Farhan (Peshawar), Aamir Jamal (Lahore), and Usama Mir (Sialkot). Haris Rauf, Zaman Khan, Muhammad Nawaz, Umar Gul, and Yasir Arafat, along with coaches Umar Gul and Yasir Arafat, will depart for Islamabad. Meanwhile, Saim Ayub and Haseebullah are set to land in Karachi.
Separately, Babar Azam, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Mohammad Rizwan, and Abbas Afridi will leave the squad and fly from Christchurch to Dhaka on Monday to participate in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL).
In terms of cricketing results, Pakistan concluded their T20I series against New Zealand with a 4-1 defeat. However, they managed to secure a 42-run victory in the fifth T20I in Christchurch by defending the lowest successful total in New Zealand during the series—bowling the host out for 92 while defending 134. This marked only the second instance of New Zealand being dismissed for a score below 100 in a T20I game at home.
