Srinagar: Star wicketkeeper batter Mohammad Rizwan was on Monday dropped by selectors from the Pakistan playing eleven vs New Zealand in the first Test and was replaced by former skipper Sarfaraz Ahmed.
Sarfaraz is making comeback into Pakistan Test team after around four years and will be playing first Test on his home soil.
Rizwan scored 141 runs in the three-match Test series against England at an average of 23.50.
Sarfaraz was impressive while playing for Sindh in the 2022-23 edition of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy. In 8 matches, the veteran scored 394 runs at an average of 43.77 with one century and three half-centuries to show for his efforts.
In 49 Tests thus far, Sarfaraz scored 2657 runs at an average of 36.39 with three hundreds and 18 half-centuries to his name.
Pakistan also handed a comeback to fast bowler Mir Hamza, who made his debut back in 2018, but hasn’t got a chance since then.
Hamza wasn’t a part of the original squad, but was later added to the national squad along with pacer Shahnawaz Dahani and off-spinner Sajid Khan.