Babar Azam and Shaheen Afridi have returned to the T20 International squad as the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced a 15-member squad for the 3-match T20 series against Australia starting on January 29. Ahead of the series, the board has announced the squad without mentioning the names of star fast bowlers Haris Rauf and Mohammad Rizwan.
Ahead of the ICC T20 World Cup 2026, Pakistan is all set to host Australia for a 3-match Twenty20 series. Ahead of the specific tournament, the PCB is yet to finalize the World Cup squad. The T20 series, which will run from January 29 to February 1, will be the last match between the two teams before the World Cup.
Surprising names in Pakistan T20I team
Having played multiple franchise leagues, including the Indian Premier League (IPL), the Australian internationals are well aware of the conditions in the subcontinent, which will be beneficial to them during the T20 World Cup. Also, the bilateral T20 series with Pakistan will provide them a good platform for preparations.
The 15-member squad announced by the PCB has surprised a section of cricket fans as many stars are missing from the team list. The exclusion of fast bowler Haris Rauf from the team was one of the major steps taken by the Pakistan cricket team officials.
All eyes will be on Pakistan’s batting superstar Babar Azam
On the other hand, batsmen like Babar Azam and Sam Ayub, who were struggling on the international stage, were kept in the team. However, it is important to remember that the board has not yet announced its final team for the T20 World Cup.
Babar Azam made his debut in the Big Bash League (BBL) in the current season. Pakistan’s star batsman played an inning of 50 runs with Sydney Sixers but was criticized a lot due to his low strike rate, which is not suitable in this format where most of the batsmen bat while maintaining a strong strike rate. Despite the ups and downs in recent times, Azam’s inclusion in the squad was a surprising decision by the Pakistan team selectors.
Eyes will also be on Shaheen Afridi. Like Babar, the star pacer also made his BBL debut in the same season. His tenure with the Brisbane Heat was abruptly cut short due to an injury sustained on 27 December. Since then, he is in the recovery phase.
Afridi’s injury before the T20 World Cup has left the cricket team a little worried. After the announcement of the T20 team, this fast bowler looks ready to return to action again.
Pakistan T20 squad for Australia series:
Salman Ali Aga, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Khawaja Nafee Nawaz, Salman Mirza, Wasim Jr., Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan, Sayim Ayub, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Afridi, Usman Khan and Usman Tariq.
read more: Haris Rauf breaks silence on Mike Hesson being dropped from Pakistan’s T20 World Cup squad
