Babar back as Pakistan captain for New Zealand T20I series

Babar Azam

Babar Azam makes his return as Pakistan captain in a five-match T20 series starting on Thursday against an understrength New Zealand with the World Cup weeks away.

Babar regained the captaincy last month in a shock U-turn that ended the short-lived reign of Shaheen Shah Afridi, raising fears of a rift between the players.

Head coach Azhar Mahmood said on Tuesday that the T20 World Cup in June in the United States and West Indies is very much on their minds. "I have full faith in the selected squad and the morale is very high in the team, so we will overcome all the shortcomings so that we can do our best in the World Cup," he told AFP.

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"You cannot take any team lightly in the T20 format and if New Zealand is missing their key players then there is an opportunity for their young players," Mahmood added.

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