LAHORE: Hard-hitting batter Usman Khan was Tuesday included in Pakistan’s squad for the Twenty20 international series against New Zealand, four days after he was banned by Emirates Cricket Board.
Usman, 28, was the second highest run scorer in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) last month with 430 in seven matches, while also on the books as a player in a United Arab Emirates (UAE) league.
The Emirates Cricket Board charged him with breaching his obligations to the Board after he attended a training camp for the Pakistan national team last month after the PSL ended.
He was banned from playing cricket in the UAE for five years, missing out on the chance to qualify as a national player for the Gulf state from 2025.
Selector Wahab Riaz justified Usman’s selection.
“Usman has been scoring runs for the last two-three years so he deserved selection and if there are any other issues Pakistan Cricket Board will be dealing with them,” Riaz told media while announcing the squad.
Babar Azam will lead the 17-man squad after he replaced Shaheen Shah Afridi as captain last month.
The five-match series against New Zealand will be played in Rawalpindi (April 18, 20 and 21) and Lahore (April 25 and 27).
Fast bowler Mohammad Amir and Imad Wasim are also part of the squad after coming out of retirement.
Amir had abruptly announced his retirement in 2020 following non-selection in the team but continued to play league cricket around the world while Wasim retired last year.
“We will follow a rotation policy to keep our players fit for the World Cup which is our target,” said Riaz.
The Twenty20 World Cup will be held in the United States and the West Indies in June.
Another fast bowler, Haris Rauf, was left out after injuring his shoulder during the PSL.
Squad: Babar Azam (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Azam Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Amir, Irfan Khan Niazi, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usama Mir, Usman Khan, Zaman Khan
UAE-banned Usman Khan in Pakistan squad for New Zealand T20Is
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UAE-banned Usman Khan in Pakistan squad for New Zealand T20Is
- Selector Wahab Riaz says Khan has consistently remained in good form and deserves to be in the team
- He says Pakistan will follow ‘rotation policy’ to keep players fit for the World Cup in the US, West Indies
Pakistan terms climate change, demographic pressures as ‘pressing existential risks’
- Pakistan has suffered frequent climate change-induced disasters, including floods this year that killed over 1,000
- Pakistan finmin highlights stabilization measures at Doha Forum, discusses economic cooperation with Qatar
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb on Saturday described climate change and demographic pressures as “pressing existential risks” facing the country, calling for urgent climate financing.
The finance minister was speaking as a member of a high-level panel at the 23rd edition of the Doha Forum, which is being held from Dec. 6–7 in the Qatari capital. Aurangzeb was invited as a speaker on the discussion titled: ‘Global Trade Tensions: Economic Impact and Policy Responses in MENA.’
“He reaffirmed that while Pakistan remained vigilant in the face of geopolitical uncertainty, the more pressing existential risks were climate change and demographic pressures,” the Finance Division said.
Pakistan has suffered repeated climate disasters in recent years, most notably the 2022 super-floods that submerged one-third of the country, displaced millions and caused an estimated $30 billion in losses.
This year’s floods killed over 1,000 people and caused at least $2.9 billion in damages to agriculture and infrastructure. Scientists say Pakistan remains among the world’s most climate-vulnerable nations despite contributing less than 1 percent of global greenhouse-gas emissions.
Aurangzeb has previously said climate change and Pakistan’s fast-rising population are the only two factors that can hinder the South Asian country’s efforts to become a $3 trillion economy in the future.
The finance minister noted that this year’s floods in Pakistan had shaved at least 0.5 percent off GDP growth, calling for urgent climate financing and investment in resilient infrastructure.
When asked about Pakistan’s fiscal resilience and capability to absorb external shocks, Aurangzeb said Islamabad had rebuilt fiscal buffers. He pointed out that both the primary fiscal balance and current account had returned to surplus, supported significantly by strong remittance inflows of $18–20 billion annually from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) and Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) regions.
Separately, Aurangzeb met his Qatari counterpart Ali Bin Ahmed Al Kuwari to discuss bilateral cooperation.
“Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening economic ties, particularly by maximizing opportunities created through the newly concluded GCC–Pakistan Free Trade Agreement, expanding trade flows, and deepening energy cooperation, including long-term LNG collaboration,” the finance ministry said.
The two also discussed collaboration on digital infrastructure, skills development and regulatory reform. They agreed to establish structured mechanisms to continue joint work in trade diversification, technology, climate resilience, and investment facilitation, the finance ministry said.
