Pakistan Cricket Team: Big changes in Pakistan team before T-20 World Cup, return of 'match fixer' | leader

Leader Online Desk : The Cricket T20 World Cup 2024 will start from 1st June. Before that, major changes have been made in Pakistan's team. Pakistan will play a five-match T20I series against New Zealand at home. Pakistan team for this series has been announced. Mohammad Amir, who was involved in the match fixing case, has returned to the Pakistan cricket team. Imad Wasim has also returned from retirement. Babar Azam will be the captain. However, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has not announced who will be his vice-captain.

The Pakistani team was recently seen undergoing military training in Kakul ahead of the T20 World Cup 2024, with several videos going viral on social media. However, now the Pakistan team will play a five-match T20I series against New Zealand from April 18 to 27. The 17-player Pakistan cricket team for this series has been announced. The matches of the five-match T20 series will be played in Rawalpindi, Lahore. Apart from Mohammad Amir and Imad Wasim, two new faces have also joined the team. This includes uncapped player Mohammad Irfan Khan and dashing opener Usman Khan.

Pakistan Cricket Team: Aamir, stuck in 'match fixing', returns to the team

31-year-old Aamir also recently announced his return from retirement. Mohammad Amir played his last T20 International for Pakistan on 30 August 2020. During Pakistan's tour of England in 2010, Amir along with Salman Butt and Mohammad Asif faced bans for spot-fixing. Despite serving his sentence and returning to international cricket in 2016, Amir has remained controversial in cricket.

Recently, former Pakistani cricketer Ramiz Raja took notice of Mohammad Amir, who was involved in the spot-fixing case. He had said in a TV interview that Aamir's spot-fixing case is still on his mind. In their eyes, Aamir's tarnished image still remains. I have not taken any deal to fix things in cricket; But because of that fixing we (Pakistan) got criticized all over the world. He said that I was doing commentary when the fixing issue happened, I will not forgive him even today. There will be many people who will sympathize with them. But there is no apology for it in his book, if my son, God forbid, was doing it, I would have disowned him.

Imad Wasim withdraws his decision to retire

Pakistan pick Imad Wasim announced his retirement from international cricket in November 2023, but did a U-turn after a brilliant performance in the Pakistan Super League (PSL). He will now play in the series against New Zealand. Last year also he played in the series against New Zealand. Imad has played 55 ODIs. He has 986 runs and 44 wickets to his credit. Apart from this, he has scored 486 runs in 66 T20 International matches, while also taking 65 wickets.

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