Interim chief selector Shahid Afridi hosted a dinner for the Pakistan squad at his place. The event was also attended by Shaheen Afridi, who is recovering from his injury, Head coach Saqlain Mushtaq and bowling coach Shaun Tait were also present there.
“We have provided new players a chance in the series against New Zealand. This will also help Babar Azam pick players from a wider pool for the World Cup in India later this year,” Afridi said.
The former Pakistan captain also praised Sarfaraz Ahmed for his comeback hundred against New Zealand.
“The way Sarfaraz Ahmed performed and availed his long-awaited opportunity was excellent. He must have scored several hundreds in his career but he will remember the one in Karachi for a very long time.”
Shaheen Afridi was full of praise for the Pakistan team which battled to a tense draw on the final day of the second Test against New Zealand. “The entire team played well against New Zealand. It was a total team effort which helped in securing a draw in Karachi.”
Agha Salman and Naseem Shah were upbeat to perform well and were looking forward to a new task in a different format against the visitors.
Pakistan will face New Zealand in three ODIs in Karachi. The first ODI will be played on January 9, the second and third on January 11 and 13 respectively.
