The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced a 17-man squad for the upcoming T20I series against New Zealand in January. Shaheen Shah Afridi will lead the squad for the first time as part of preparations for the ICC T20 World Cup in June 2024. Newcomers Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Haseebullah, and Usama Mir have earned their first call-up, while Sahibzada Farhan returns to the squad. Uncapped players Abrar Ahmed and Azam Khan have also been included. The squad includes six pace bowlers and will be without Naseem Shah, Ihsanullah, and Shadab Khan due to injuries. The T20I tour of New Zealand will consist of five matches from January 12-21. PCB Chief Selector Wahab Riaz emphasized the importance of nurturing young talent and said that Mohammad Haris and Shan Masood had been rested for this series. The full squad is: Shaheen Shah Afridi (captain), Aamir Jamal, Abbas Afridi, Azam Khan (wicket-keeper), Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah (wicket-keeper), Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan (wicket-keeper), Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Usama Mir, and Zaman Khan.