The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Wednesday unveiled a 15-member squad for the upcoming three-match ODI series against Bangladesh, leaving out star batter Babar Azam and all-rounder Saim Ayub from the selection.
According to an official statement issued by the board, all three ODIs will be played at the Shere Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka from March 11 to 15.
Left-arm pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi will continue to lead the ODI side, marking his second major assignment as captain in the 50-over format. The squad also features six uncapped players, signalling a fresh approach by the selectors ahead of a busy international calendar.
The uncapped players included in the squad are Abdul Samad, Maaz Sadaqat, Muhammad Ghazi Ghori, Saad Masood, Sahibzada Farhan and Shamyl Hussain. Among them, Abdul Samad, Maaz Sadaqat, Saad Masood and Shamyl Hussain were recently part of the Pakistan Shaheens squad that competed against England Lions in Abu Dhabi.
The omission of former ODI captain Babar Azam and Saim Ayub has drawn significant attention, as both players have been regular features in Pakistan’s white-ball setup in recent years. However, the selectors appear to be focusing on squad rotation and testing bench strength ahead of future tournaments.
For context, Pakistan last featured in an ODI series in November last year when they hosted Sri Lanka and completed a dominant 3-0 clean sweep at home. That series was also part of Shaheen Afridi’s early leadership tenure in the format, following a successful 2-1 home series win against South Africa during his maiden stint as ODI captain.
15-Member Squad:
- Shaheen Shah Afridi (captain)
- Abdul Samad
- Abrar Ahmed
- Faheem Ashraf
- Faisal Akram
- Haris Rauf
- Hussain Talat
- Maaz Sadaqat
- Mohammad Rizwan (wk)
- Mohammad Wasim Jnr
- Muhammad Ghazi Ghori (wk)
- Saad Masood
- Sahibzada Farhan
- Salman Ali Agha
- Shamyl Hussain
Series Schedule:
- March 11 – First ODI at Shere Bangla National Cricket Stadium, Dhaka
- March 13 – Second ODI at Shere Bangla National Cricket Stadium, Dhaka
- March 15 – Third ODI at Shere Bangla National Cricket Stadium, Dhaka
The Bangladesh series will provide an opportunity for new faces to stake their claim in the national side, while senior players like Mohammad Rizwan, Haris Rauf and Salman Ali Agha are expected to anchor the team alongside captain Shaheen Afridi.
