LAHORE: Pakistani skipper Babar Azam and opener Imam-ul-Haq have been ruled out of the first Test starting in Mount Maunganui from 26th December, while the tour selection committee has included Imran Butt in the 17-player squad.

Babar had fractured his right thumb a day after Imam had fractured his left thumb during training sessions in Queenstown last week. Both are yet to return to nets with the team's medical staff closely monitoring their progress. Decision on their participation in the second Test, which commences in Christchurch on 3rd January, will be made closer to the time.

Babar's absence means Mohammad Rizwan will captain the Pakistan side in the first Test. Rizwan will become Pakistan's 33rd captain to lead the side in the traditional format of the game.

Imran Butt scored 191 runs in the three ongoing four-day first-class Quaid-e-Azam Trophy matches before joining the New Zealand-bound tour party. He had topped batting charts in the 2019-20 Quaid-e-Azam Trophy with 934 runs at an average of over 62 with four centuries and three half-centuries.

Also returning to the Pakistan Test side are Abid Ali, Azhar Ali, Fawad Alam, Haris Sohail, Mohammad Abbas, Naseem Shah, Shan Masood, Sohail Khan and Yasir Shah. They will replace Abdullah Shafiq, Haider Ali, Haris Rauf, Hussain Talat, Iftikhar Ahmed, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Hasnain, Musa Khan, Usman Qadir and Wahab Riaz who will now join Pakistan Shaheens for five T20 matches against the local and New Zealand XI sides.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2020