Misbah-ul-Haq: “The ongoing domestic season has produced three highly impressive and consistent spinners in Nauman Ali, Sajid Khan and Zahid Mahmood”
Image courtesy of: ESPNcricinfo
Pakistan head coach Misbah-ul-Haq has said that he has been really impressed with spinners Nauman Ali, Sajid Khan and Zahid Mahmood.
Nauman is currently the top wicket-taker in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy as he has taken 25 wickets in three matches for Northern at an average of 16.72.
Sajid is the second-highest wicket-taker in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy with 22 wickets in three games for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa at an average of 23.54.
Mahmood is right behind Sajid in third place with 20 wickets in three matches for Southern Punjab at an average of 18.55.
He also starred in the National T20 Cup, where he took 12 wickets in nine matches for Southern Punjab at an average of 24.83 and an economy rate of 8.51.
Misbah admitted that he wished he could take all three of them for the tour of New Zealand and said that he will be keeping a close eye on them going forward.
“The ongoing domestic season has produced three highly impressive and consistent spinners in Nauman Ali, Sajid Khan and Zahid Mahmood,” he was quoted as saying by the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) website. “Unfortunately, due to New Zealand government regulations as part of their Covid-19 travel requirements, we had to provide a provisional list of 45 players to New Zealand Cricket by October 12 and, as such, these players missed out because at that time, the National T20 Cup was ongoing while the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy had not commenced.
“However, the positive side is we are now developing a strong pool of top-quality spinners who will challenge each other for places in the national sides that, in turn, will help in the overall performances in the sides.”
Pakistan will play three T20 Internationals and two Tests during their tour of New Zealand.
The T20 series will be held from December 18 to 22, while the Test series will start on December 26 and conclude on January 7.
Pakistan will depart for New Zealand on November 23 and and quarantine for 14 days in Lincoln.
Pakistan’s Squad for the tour of New Zealand: Abid Ali, Abdullah Shafique, Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Shan Masood, Zeeshan Malik, Babar Azam (captain), Azhar Ali, Danish Aziz, Fawad Alam, Haider Ali (Shaheens vice-captain), Haris Sohail, Hussain Talat, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imran Butt, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Hafeez, Mohammad Rizwan (Test vice-captain), Rohail Nazir (Shaheens captain), Sarfaraz Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Shadab Khan (T20I vice-captain), Usman Qadir, Yasir Shah, Zafar Gohar, Amad Butt, Faheem Ashraf, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Musa, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sohail Khan, Wahab Riaz