LAHORE – Several prominent players including Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan and Shaheen Shah Afridi have been dropped from 16-member squad for upcoming T20 Series against Bangladesh.
The development emerged after Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced a 16-member squad for the T20I series against Bangladesh.
Many other players including
Abdul Samad, Jahandad Khan, Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Ali, Umair bin Yousuf, Sufiyan Muqeem and Usman Khan have also been dropped from the team.
According to the sources, the big players who used to be part of every squad have been dropped due to poor performance. The players’ performance was closely observed during the ongoing Pakistan Super League as well as the matches played before the league.
The three-match T20 series between Pakistan and Bangladesh will be played in Lahore.
The exact schedule of the matches will be announced in due course.
All-rounder Agha Salman has been named captain of the squad while Shadab Khan will serve as vice-captain.
The selected squad includes Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Hassan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Mohammad Irfan Khan, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Haris (wicketkeeper), Mohammad Wasim Jr., Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan (wicketkeeper), and Saim Ayub.
It may be mentioned here that Bangladesh cricket team will visit Pakistan for a three-match T20 International series following successful negotiations between the two cricket boards in Dubai.
The PCB announced that the tour was finalised after a detailed meeting between PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi and Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) officials including Chairman Nazmul Abedin and President Faruque Ahmed.
Earlier, a five-match T20I series was originally scheduled between the two sides, with fixtures planned from May 25 to June 3. However, due to scheduling adjustments, the PCB had proposed revised dates from May 27 to June 5.
The development ends uncertainty surrounding Bangladesh’s participation in the tour, which had earlier faced delays due to logistical and administrative concerns.
Moreover, the PCB is considering shifting the venue of the first T20I from Faisalabad to Lahore due to logistical concerns. The sources said that Lahore is now being seen as a more feasible option for hosting the opening game.
Salman Agha named captain as Pakistan announce squad for Bangladesh T20 series
