The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is expected to exclude former captain Babar Azam from the squad for the upcoming New Zealand tour.
The national team will leave for New Zealand on March 12, with the first phase featuring a five-match T20 series starting on March 16. Following the T20 series, a three-match ODI series will commence on March 29.
Read more: Babar Azam Climbs in Latest T20I Rankings
Reports suggest that Babar Azam may not be part of the squad despite his recent strong performances, as the board considers giving opportunities to domestic players.
The news comes after Pakistan’s early exit from the Champions Trophy, where the team, led by Mohammad Rizwan, was eliminated in the group stage. They suffered defeats against India and New Zealand, while their match against Bangladesh was washed out.
Pakistan finished at the bottom of the points table and failed to advance to the next round. However, they secured prize money from the tournament’s $2.24 million pool, earning $140,000, the same as Bangladesh.
Meanwhile, the Champions Trophy winners will receive $2.24 million and the championship title on March 9. The runners-up will earn $1.12 million, while the losing semi-finalists will each receive $560,000 from the $6.9 million prize pool—a 53% increase from the 2017 edition.
Each group stage victory carries a prize of over $34,000, while teams finishing in fifth and sixth place will earn $350,000 each.
