Pakistan's senior players to miss New Zealand tour

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has decided to rest senior players including captain Mohammad Rizwan for the New Zealand tour after the side’s early exit from the ongoing Champions Trophy 2025, ARY News reported, citing sources.

The defending champions were knocked out of the tournament after losing successive games to New Zealand and India.

They ended the tournament at the bottom of Group A with a point after their last fixture against Bangladesh was abandoned due to rain in Rawalpindi.

Following their dismal outing in the Champions Trophy 2025, several former cricketers and fans blasted senior players including Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan and Shaheen Afridi for failing to perform on the big stage.

Calls were made to the Pakistan Cricket Board to move on from senior players and give chances to youngsters in the upcoming fixtures.

Amid the criticism of the Pakistan team, the PCB has decided to rest senior players including white-ball captain Mohammad Rizwan.

Read more: Hafeez wants Pakistan to move on from Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf and Naseem

Sources said that the decision was made following the side’s poor outing in the Champions Trophy 2025.

The Pakistan Cricket Board will decide on the appointment of a new captain for the tour in due time in the absence of Rizwan, they added.

It is to be noted here that Pakistan’s tour of New Zealand will run from March 16 to April 5, featuring five T20Is and three ODIs.

The T20I series will commence with the first game in Christchurch on March 16, followed by the second match in Dunedin on March 18.

The third match will be played in Auckland on March 21, while the fourth and fifth games are scheduled on March 23 and 26, respectively.

Following the conclusion of the T20I series, the teams will travel to Napier for the first ODI, scheduled for March 29.

The two sides will face off in the second ODI on April 2 in Hamilton, while the third and final ODI will be played in Mount Maunganui on April 5.