The Indian Premier League (IPL) has returned for its 17th season, and the league has captured the attention of fans across the world. The tournament has an increased importance this year, as the T20 World Cup will take place immediately afterwards, in June.
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For Pakistan, however, the IPL is not an option for preparing for the global tournament. Instead, they will be playing two T20I series against New Zealand in April and England in May. In addition, the players will be undergoing a training camp with the army.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) also made a change at the top, replacing Shaheen Shah Afridi with Babar Azam as the T20I captain before the New Zealand series.
He hasn't won anything as captain but...' - Wahab Riaz on Babar Azam returning as Pakistan captain
New Zealand announced their squad for the series last week, including the likes of Ben Lister and Cole McConchie as several first-team players are away at the IPL. Pakistan announced their squad on Tuesday, including PSL star Usman Khan and returning veterans Imad Wasim and Mohammad Amir.
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During a press conference for the squad announcement, chief selector Wahab Riaz was once again questioned about the decision to reinstate Babar Azam, so soon after Shaheen Shah Afridi had taken over from the batter in November. Wahab remaind upbeat about the situation, saying,
Babar Azam has not won anything as captain in his career, and we talked to Babar about this. But he is optimistic and believes Pakistan can win the World Cup under his captaincy.
Babar's last tournament in charge of Pakistan was the 2023 World Cup in India. Pakistan endured a difficult campaign, finishing in fifth place to mark a third successive World Cup in which they failed to reach the semifinal stage. They will be hoping he can lead them to a better performance this summer.
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