COAS to host iftar for Green Shirts in Pindi post-Kakul training

RAWALPINDI: As the Pakistan cricket team continues its diligent training at the fitness camp in Kakul, Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir is set to host an iftar on April 7 in Rawalpindi for the national team.

The Men in Green are currently part of a fitness camp in Abbottabad, where they are training and working out at the Army School of Physical Training (ASPT).

The fitness camp, as per sources, was earlier set to conclude on April 8; however, it will now wrap up a day before on April 7 with the players heading straight to Pindi for Iftar with the army chief during the ongoing holy month of Ramadan.

Following the iftar, they will head to their homes ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr.

Players participating in camp

Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, Saim Ayub, Fakhar Zaman, Sahibzada Farhan, Haseebullah, Saud Shakeel, Usman Khan, Mohammad Haris, Salman Ali Agha, Azam Khan, Iftikhar Ahmed, Irfan Khan Niazi, Shadab Khan, Imad Wasim, Usama Mir, Mohammad Nawaz, Mehran Mumtaz, Abrar Ahmed, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Hasan Ali, Mohammad Ali, Zaman Khan, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Aamir Jamal, Haris Rauf and Mohammad Amir.

It must be noted that New Zealand will touch down in Pakistan on April 14 for the eagerly-anticipated five-match T20I series.

The two teams will play three T20Is at the Pindi Cricket Stadium in Rawalpindi on 18, 20 and 21 April. Following that, both sides will move to Lahore, where they will play the remaining two T20Is of the series on 25 and 27 April, respectively.

All five matches of the T20I series will start at 7:00pm (PST).

Michael Bracewell will lead New Zealand during their tour of Pakistan.

Trent Boult, Devon Conway, Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Mitch Santner and Kane Williamson won’t feature in the series due to Indian Premier League commitments.

Colin Munro was also unavailable for selection, while Tim Southee has been rested.

Will Young was also unavailable for selection due to his contract with Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club, as was Tom Latham, who is awaiting the birth of his second child.

Wellington’s Tim Robinson and Canterbury’s Will O’Rourke have been picked for the first time in New Zealand’s T20I squad.

Pakistan’s squad is set to be announced in a day or two.