'I thought of trying him as a vice-captain to test his ability' - Najam Sethi on Shan Masood's appointment as Pakistan's deputy against NZ

Najam Sethi, the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), has finally revealed the reason for Shan Masood's appointment as Pakistan's vice-captain for the last home series against New Zealand which was played back in January this year. Shan was given the job against the Kiwis instead of all-rounder Shadab Khan, although the choice was criticized by current and former players. The opening batter was not a regular in the 50-over format at the time since he was seen to be more suited to the game's longest format.

Sethi stated that appointing the captain and vice-captain was entirely up to him. He also stated that he made the decision after discussing it with others as well. He went on to say that he made Shan vice-captain to test his abilities.

"The decision to appoint the captain and his vice-captain is my discretion. I had some things going on in my mind, and I had also consulted some people in this regard. I thought of trying Shan Masood as a vice-captain to test his ability," Sethi was quoted as saying by the Pakistan Observer.

Speaking about the series in January 2023, Pakistan suffered a 2-1 loss to the Kane Williamson-led side. Shan's vice-captaincy did not last long as he was not included in the playing XI for the first two ODIs of the three-game series and got dismissed on a duck in the only game he played in the series.

Pakistan to host New Zealand for T20I, ODI series

The Babar Azam-led side will host New Zealand in a five-match T20I and one-day international (ODI) series. The T20I series will begin on April 14 and conclude on April 24, with the first three matches being held at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore and the final two at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.

Meanwhile, the ODI series will commence on April 26 and will finish on May 7. The first two ODIs will be held in Rawalpindi, with the next three taking place at the National Stadium in Karachi.

Pakistan Squad for ODI and T20I series vs New Zealand:

T20I: Babar Azam (captain), Shadab Khan (vice-captain), Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Iftikhar Ahmed, Ihsanullah, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Haris, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shan Masood and Zaman Khan

ODI: Babar Azam (captain), Shadab Khan (vice-captain), Abdullah Shafique, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Haris Sohail, Ihsanullah, Imam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Naseem Shah, Salman Ali Agha, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shan Masood and Usama Mir