KarachiPakistan national team could possibly have a new combination of pace battery for New Zealand tour in January, next year. The Pakistans short tour to New Zealand is 17-day long that ends on Sunday January 31, just ahead of the inaugural edition of Pakistan Premiere League.
The national selectors and team management are looking to recall left-arm pacers Mohammad Aamir, Junaid Khan and experienced right-arm fast bowler Umar Gul for the New Zealand tour.
The uncapped southpaw pacer Rumman Raees is also in serious consideration but he unfortunately has fallen ill and could not attend the fitness tests held so far.
According to information gathered from the national conditioning camp in Lahore, the selectors were impressed with both Junaid Khan and Rummans bowling with the latter showing his skills as part of England Lions team in the recent T20 series.
There is every likelihood that Aamir, Junaid and Umar could be in the ODI and T20 squads when they are announced next week for the tour to New Zealand. If Rumman gets well soon and passes the fitness test he is also under consideration for the T20 series, PTI reported.
PCB Chief Selector Haroon Rasheed told PTI, the squads for the series was yet to be finalized, but yes we have been impressed with the form of Aamir, Gul and Junaid and Rumman is a good prospect.
Gul, 31, who has taken 163 Test, 173 ODI and 83 T20 international wickets, has not played for the national team since April this year when he toured Bangladesh. Junaid last played in May in Lahore against Zimbabwe before being discarded by the selectors.
The tall Irfan could be dropped for the tour to New Zealand because of form and fitness issues. In the last one year, Wahab Riaz, Mohammad Irfan, Rahat Ali and Imran Khan have shouldered the bulk of the bowling in all three formats for Pakistan.
The visitors will play a series of 3 One-Day Internationals (ODIs) and 3 T20 International (T20I) matches staring from 15 January 2016.
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