Pakistan ODI Squad vs Bangladesh Announced, Babar Azam Left Out

The Pakistan Cricket Board has announced the Pakistan ODI squad for the upcoming three-match series against Bangladesh in Dhaka, with several notable changes to the lineup.

The PCB said it has excluded star batter Babar Azam and all-rounder Saim Ayub from the 15-member squad. All three matches will take place at the Shere Bangla National Stadium in Dhaka between March 11 and March 15.

Left-arm fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi will continue to captain the ODI side for the series.

This will be his second assignment as ODI captain, following his lead of Pakistan in a home series against South Africa, which Pakistan won 2-1.

The Bangladesh tour marks Pakistan’s first ODI assignment since November last year, when they hosted Sri Lanka and completed a 3-0 clean sweep.

The selection committee has included six uncapped players in the squad, highlighting a shift toward testing emerging talent. The uncapped players 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 recently represented Pakistan Shaheens in a series against England Lions in Abu Dhabi.

The move suggests the selectors are looking to build squad depth ahead of future international assignments.

Pakistan’s 15-member ODI Squad:

Shaheen Shah Afridi (captain), Abdul Samad, Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Faisal Akram, Haris Rauf, Hussain Talat, Maaz Sadaqat, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Mohammad Wasim Jr, Muhammad Ghazi Ghori (wk), Saad Masood, Sahibzada Farhan, Salman Ali Agha and Shamyl Hussain.

Read: Sarfaraz Ahmed Set to Become Pakistan Test Coach

The series will be played entirely in Dhaka at the Shere Bangla National Stadium. Pakistan will aim to continue their strong ODI momentum when they face Bangladesh in the upcoming matches.

Pakistan ODI Squad vs Bangladesh Series Schedule