LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has decided to promote top-performing players from domestic cricket as it called up 18 players to the National Cricket Academy (NCA) Saturday for assessment.
The selected players met PCB officials at the academy, where discussions focused on fitness and performance.
According to PCB sources, five to six players from this group of 18 will be selected for the New Zealand tour.
The current selection committee will finalize the squad, expected to be announced within 3 to 4 days.
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Meanwhile, the PCB has also decided to rest underperforming players for the upcoming New Zealand tour, providing several new players a chance to prove themselves at the international level.
Sources confirmed that senior players such as Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi, and Naseem Shah are likely to be rested for the series.
Additionally, PCB said in a statement that the initiative to invited young domestic performers aligns with chairman Mohsin Naqvi’s vision to revamp the national team by giving opportunities to in-form domestic players.
On the other hand, sources claimed that the domestic performers also met Mohsin Naqvi, who listened to their concerns and encouraged them.
Talking to media after the meeting at the NCA, Haider Ali said, “We discussed fitness and performance in today’s meeting. The selected players will be part of a four-week training camp.”
Similarly, Khawaja Nafay said playing in leagues provides great learning opportunities due to competition against top players. “If given a chance, I’ll try to fill the team’s power-hitting gap.”
Faisal Akram was of the opinion that selection is the selectors’ job, but “if picked, I’ll give my best.”
Moreover, Ahmad Daniyal said that “I’ve performed well in the Champions Cup and played both red-ball and white-ball cricket. Shoaib Akhtar has always been my inspiration as a fast bowler.”
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He also urged former Pakistani cricketers to support players instead of constantly criticizing them.
Players in attendance included: Haider Ali, Muaz Sadaqat, Mohammad Suleman, Khawaja Nafay, Saad Masood, Mubasir Khan, Faisal Akram, Mirza Tahir Baig, Ali Raza, Qasim Akram, and others.
Akif Javed was also invited but could not attend due to personal commitments.