Selectors drop Babar, Rizwan and Shaheen for Bangladesh T20Is

Staff Report

LAHORE: Sahibzada Farhan has been rewarded for his sterling form in the ongoing Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2025 with a recall to the Pakistan T20I side for the three-match series against Bangladesh later this month. Farhan is among eight changes to the side that toured New Zealand in March. Also returning to the side are Hasan Ali and Saim Ayub. Ayub was out of the national side since picking up an injury in South Africa in January during the Test series. He missed all the cricket between that series and the PSL, including the Champions Trophy, and makes his comeback despite average returns for Peshawar Zalmi –– 174 runs in ten innings at an average of 17.40 and strike rate of 125.17. Hasan was in the team last in May 2024, and has now forced his way back with 15 wickets in the PSL for Karachi Kings, which places his joint-second with Abrar Ahmed and Jason Holder, and only behind Abbas Afridi, who has 17 wickets. Abbas, meanwhile, is one of the players to have been dropped.

Farhan pretty much forced the selectors to recall him after last playing a T20I in December last year. Playing for Islamabad United, he is currently the PSL’s top scorer with 394 runs at a strike rate of 154.50, and has hit a century and two half-centuries. Also back are Fakhar Zaman, Hussain Talat and Faheem Ashraf, apart from Mohammad Wasim and Naseem Shah, giving the side an experienced and solid appearance. However, there is no place for Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan and Shaheen Shah Afridi. Babar and Rizwan were dropped from the T20I series in New Zealand earlier this year, when Salman Agha was unveiled as the new T20I captain. Afridi played the T20Is on that tour, but has now been left out. Pakistan’s three-match series against Bangladesh is also going to be Mike Hesson’s first assignment as the Pakistan white-ball head coach after he joined them earlier this month. The three T20Is will be played on May 28 and 30, and June 1.

Pakistan squad for T20I series against Bangladesh:

Salman Agha (capt), Shadab Khan (vice-capt), Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Hassan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Haris (wk), Mohammad Wasim, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan (wk), Saim Ayub.