The Pakistan Super League came to an end last month, marking the last major tournament before the Pakistan national team gears up its preparations for the T20 World Cup in June.
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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.
'RIP Pakistan domestic cricket' - Former cricketer Mohammad Hafeez aims dig at PCB
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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Imad and Mohammed Amir reversed their international retirement to make themselves available for Pakistan, but it appears the decision to select the pair may not have gone down well with everyone in the country. After the squad was announced, former Pakistan captain and director of cricket Mohammed Hafeez took to social media to post the following.
#RIP Pakistan domestic cricket
— Mohammad Hafeez (@MHafeez22) April 9, 2024
Hafeez was sacked as director of cricket for the national team in February, barely three months after taking over the role in the wake of Pakistan's disappointing World Cup campaign. Upon being relieved from his role, he threatened to 'expose' the PCB for their amateur operation.
In November, Hafeez had contacted Amir over an international return, reportedly telling the fast bowler that he would have to participate in domestic cricket if he wanted to be considered for selection.
It seems that here as well, Hafeez is taking a shot at the PCB by lamenting the decision to select Amir and Imad, given that the pair have not participated in the domestic league system for quite a while. They were selected on the back of stellar performances in the Pakistan Super League (PSL).
Many fans were quick to point out what they felt was hypocrisy on Hafeez's part. During his stint as Pakistan's director of cricket, he had not selected batter Mohammed Haris in the national squad even after a stellar season in the National T20 Cup, where he scored 330 runs at a strike rate of nearly 150.
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