Rizwan to lead Pakistan A against Kiwis

LAHORE: Mohammad Rizwan will lead Pakistan 'A' in a two-match four-day series against New Zealand 'A' in the United Arab Emirates. Rizwan was a part of Pakistan's 18-member squad that took on Australia in a two-Test series that the hosts won 1-0, but did not play a match despite reports that the team management was considering resting Sarfraz Ahmed.

Rizwan was released mid-series for a Pakistan 'A' T20 against New Zealand before being recalled to keep wickets on the final day of the series because of a concussion scare to Sarfraz. In the recent three-match one-day series between the two sides, Rizwan scored two centuries.

The Pakistan 'A' 14-member squad also includes Mir Hamza, who recently made his Test debut against Australia in the Abu Dhabi Test. On a wicket largely conducive for spin-bowling, Hamza picked up one Australian wicket in the second innings. On the third ball of his first over, the left-arm quick bowled a jaffa which angled in on the release and move a fraction away from Shaun Marsh after pitching to clip the top of the off-stump. His match figures were 1 for 67.

Hamza returned to domestic cricket and returned 0 for 37 in the first quarter-final of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy One-Day Cup for National Bank of Pakistan as his side lost to Salman Butt's Water and Power Development Authority by eight wickets.

Abid Ali, 31, who scored fifties in both innings in the previous Pakistan 'A' four-day game against the Australians ahead of their two Tests against Pakistan, retains his place in the side. The right-handed middle-order batsman scored 0, 30, and 32 in three one-dayers against New Zealand 'A'.

Pakistan had not sent a specialist spinner for a solitary warm-up against the Australians, ostensibly to deny the visitors any exposure to spin ahead of the Test series. For the upcoming two-match series, the Inzamam-ul-Haq-led national selection committee has included two specialist left-arm orthodox bowlers in Kashif Bhatti and Mohammad Asghar.

The two matches will be played at Dubai (Oct 30 Nov 2) and Abu Dhabi (Nov 6-9).

Squad: Sami Aslam, Shan Masood, Abid Ali, Usman Salahuddin, Mohammad Saad, Saud Shakeel, Saad Ali, Mohammad Rizwan (C), Kashif Bhatti, Mohammad Asghar, Mir Hamza, Waqas Ahmed, Taj Wali, Rahat Ali,