Pakistan has announced a 15-member team for the Bangladesh tour. Shaheen Afridi has been made the captain in the newly selected team, experienced keeper-batsman Mohammad Rizwan has also got a place in the team, but there is no place for Babar Azam and Saim Ayub.
Babar Azam’s exclusion from the team has become the headlines as soon as the complete team list was published on social media platforms. It is believed that the decision to drop Babar from the team is based on his recent performance in the white-ball tournament. This batting star, who was once the focal point of the team, performed poorly in the T20 World Cup 2026.
Babar Azam and Sam Ayub are not named in the team to face Bangladesh in ODI.
As Pakistan crashed out of the tournament before reaching the semi-finals, news came that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) headed by Mohsin Naqvi is preparing to take major steps to improve the team.
Many reports claimed that Azam is also uncertain in the team. However, the batsman’s exclusion from the One Day International team came as a shock to many. In the ongoing T20 World Cup, the right-handed batsman managed to score only 91 runs in six matches at a strike rate of 112.34.
PCB has included many uncapped cricketers in the new team
Along with Babar, the team also left behind Sam Ayub. Like the experienced batsman, the emerging all-rounder also failed to perform as expected in the T20 World Cup 2026.
Pakistan’s latest ODI squad features a number of uncapped cricketers, reflecting the selectors’ intention to build a group of players for the future. Among the uncapped players, Abdul Samad, Maaz Sadaqat, Saad Masood and Shamil Hussain were recently part of the Pakistan Shaheens squad that competed against the England Lions in Abu Dhabi.
The team will leave for Dhaka on March 9 with all three ODI matches to be played at the Shere Bangla National Stadium.
Pakistan’s 15-man squad for Bangladesh vs ODI series:
Shaheen Afridi (captain), Abdul Samad, Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Faisal Akram, Haris Russaf, Hussain Talat, Maaz Sadaqat, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Mohammad Wasim Jr., Mohammad Ghazi Ghori (wk), Saad Masood, Sahibzada Farhan, Salman Ali Aga and Shameel Hussain.
Series details in Bangladesh:
On March 8- Pakistan cricket team will reach Bangladesh.
March 10 – They are scheduled to start practice
March 11 – Bangladesh vs Pakistan, 1st ODI, Shere Bangladesh National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka
March 13 – BAN vs PAK, 2nd ODI, Shere Bangladesh National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka
15 March – BAN vs PAK, 3rd ODI, Shere Bangladesh National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka
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