WEB DESK: Mohammad Abbas was unable to secure a place in Pakistan’s ODI team, another Mohammad Abbas has been included in New Zealand’s squad for the series against Pakistan.
Twenty-one-year-old Mohammad Abbas is the son of former Pakistani first-class cricketer Azhar Abbas has been included in New Zealand’s ODI squad.
He was born in Lahore and later moved to New Zealand with his family. Abbas, a left-arm bowler, has represented teams from Auckland and Wellington.
This is not the first time a player born in Pakistan has been representing a foreign team. Over the years, several such “gems” have been included in teams worldwide.
Australian cricket star Usman Khawaja was born in Islamabad. South African leg-spinner Imran Tahir hails from Lahore, Zimbabwe’s Sikandar Raza is from Sialkot, England’s Owais Shah was born in Karachi, and Rohan Mustafa was born in Kohat but represents the United Arab Emirates. Similarly, Rizwan Cheema, born in Gujrat, has represented Canada.
The first match of the ODI series between Pakistan and New Zealand will be played on March 29, with the other two matches scheduled for April 2 and 5. Notably, Mitchell Santner, Rachin Ravindra, Devon Conway, and Glenn Phillips are not included in the squad due to IPL commitments.
