Basit Ali: “Maybe Imad and Abrar will come in and Nawaz will get dropped for the series against New Zealand but the rest of the team will be the same”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Former Pakistan batsman Basit Ali believes spinner Mohammad Nawaz could be dropped for the five-match T20I series against New Zealand.
Nawaz hasn’t been anywhere near his best lately as he has struggled to take wickets consistently.
In the 2024 Pakistan Super League (PSL), the 30-year-old took two wickets in eight matches for the Karachi Kings at an average of 88 and an economy rate of 8.80.
Having failed to perform, Basit expects Nawaz to be axed and the spin duo of Imad Wasim and Abrar Ahmed to be selected for the New Zealand T20I series.
Imad recently reversed his decision to retire from international cricket, while Abrar has yet to make his T20I debut.
“When Babar was captain five to six months ago, the same team was playing. Maybe Imad and Abrar will come in and Nawaz will get dropped for the series against New Zealand but the rest of the team will be the same,” Basit said on his YouTube channel as quoted by Cricket Pakistan.
In PSL 9, Imad played for Islamabad United and picked up 12 wickets in 12 matches at an average of 20.91 and an economy rate of 6.60.
He also had an impact with the bat, amassing 126 runs, which included a top score of 59 not out, at an average of 21 and a strike-rate of 128.57.
As for Abrar, he represented the Quetta Gladiators and finished as the third-highest wicket-taker in PSL 9 with 16 wickets in 10 games at an average of 19.56 and an economy rate of 7.82.
The five-match T20I series between Pakistan and New Zealand will be held in Rawalpindi and Lahore from April 18 to 27.
Karachi Kings Squad for PSL 9: Shan Masood (captain), Kieron Pollard, Daniel Sams, Mohammad Nawaz, James Vince, Hasan Ali, Tim Seifert, Shoaib Malik, Tabraiz Shamsi, Mir Hamza, Muhammad Akhlaq, Mohammad Amir Khan, Anwar Ali, Arafat Minhas, Irfan Khan, Sirajuddin, Saad Baig, Jamie Overton, Leus du Plooy, Mohammad Rohid, Zahid Mahmood
Islamabad United Squad for PSL 9: Shadab Khan (captain), Naseem Shah, Jordan Cox, Imad Wasim, Azam Khan, Tymal Mills, Faheem Ashraf, Alex Hales, Colin Munro, Rumman Raees, Matthew Forde, Salman Ali Agha, Qasim Akram, Shahab Khan, Hunain Shah, Ubaid Shah, Shamyl Hussain, Obed McCoy, Haider Ali, Muhammad Waseem
Quetta Gladiators Squad for PSL 9: Rilee Rossouw (captain), Sarfaraz Ahmed, Sherfane Rutherford, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Wasim, Jason Roy, Wanindu Hasaranga, Mohammad Hasnain, Abrar Ahmed, Will Smeed, Saud Shakeel, Sajjad Ali, Usman Qadir, Omair Bin Yousuf, Adil Naz, Khawaja Nafay, Akeal Hosein, Sohail Khan, Laurie Evans, Bismillah Khan
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