Pakistan announce squad for Bangladesh tour; Babar Azam and Saim Ayub left out

Pakistan reveal their squad for the Bangladesh tour with major changes, as star batter Babar Azam and young opener Saim Ayub are omitted while selectors introduce several new faces.

Pakistan (Image Credit: ICC)

Pakistan’s selectors have announced a revamped squad for the upcoming Bangladesh tour, making several bold decisions that have caught the attention of cricket fans. The most notable move is the omission of star batter Babar Azam along with young opener Saim Ayub, signaling a possible shift in team strategy following recent performances.

The Pakistan Cricket Board appears keen to experiment with new combinations as the team prepares for upcoming international challenges. Reports suggest the squad changes are part of a broader rebuilding effort after Pakistan’s inconsistent performances in recent tournaments. The selectors have opted to give opportunities to several emerging players who have impressed in domestic competitions.

They have added new players like Abdul Samad, Muhammad Ghazi Ghori, Saad Masood, Sahibzada Farhan and Shamyl Hussain. Samad, Masood and Shamyl in the squad. The selectors have also dropped some other players like Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Nawaz, and Naseem Shah.

Pakistan squad: Shaheen Afridi (c), Abdul Samad, Abrar Ahmed, F Ashraf, Faisal Akram, Haris Rauf, H Talat, M Sadaqat, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), M Wasim, Ghazi Ghori (wk), Saad Masood, S Farhan, Salman Ali Agha and Shamyl Hussain

When will Bangladesh tour happen?

Pakistan are all set to travel to Bangladesh to play a 3-match ODI series from March 11. After an early exit from the tournament, the Men in Green are now preparing for the ODI World Cup 2027 and hence, have started alligning several series. With the PSL set to start later this month, they will finish off the Bangladesh series by March 15.

Interestingly, Shaheen Afridi will continue the captain the team for the upcoming ODI matches. Hence, this means that he might be the captain of the ODI team in the upcoming marquee event as well. The board has shown a lot of confidence on the player and will hope for different results than what they saw in the T20 World Cup 2026.

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