Azam, Shaheen back in Pakistan squad for Australia tour
The Pakistan cricket selectors have announced 15-member squads for the upcoming tours of Australia and Zimbabwe, where the national team will play three ODIs and three T20Is in each country. The tour of Australia is scheduled from November 4 to 18, while the matches in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, will take place from November 24 to December 5.
PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi will reveal Pakistan’s white-ball captain during a press conference in Lahore on Sunday at 3:30 PM.
Babar Azam, Naseem Shah, and Shaheen Shah Afridi, who were rested for the last two Tests against England, will return for the matches in Australia but will be given a break for the Zimbabwe tour. Similarly, Mohammad Rizwan will participate in the Australia matches and the ODIs in Zimbabwe but will miss the T20Is there.
This strategy aligns with the selectors’ rotation policy and aims to provide opportunities for domestic players, supporting the team’s preparation for the ICC Champions Trophy and future tournaments.
Uncapped players in the ODI squad include Aamir Jamal, Arafat Minhas, Faisal Akram, Haseebullah, Muhammad Irfan Khan, and Saim Ayub. Jahandad Khan and Salman Ali Agha are also included in the T20I squad for the first time.
Kamran Ghulam, Omair Bin Yousuf, and Sufyan Moqim are set to make their national team debuts after previously playing limited-overs internationals. Kamran acted as a concussion substitute for Haris Sohail during an ODI against New Zealand in January 2023, while Omair and Sufyan played their first T20Is against Hong Kong at the Asian Games.
Fast bowler Mohammad Hasnain, who excelled in the Champions One-Day Cup in Faisalabad last month with 17 wickets, also returns to the ODI side, having last played an ODI for Pakistan against New Zealand in January 2023.
In addition to Babar, Naseem, Rizwan, Salman, and Shaheen, four other players have been selected for both the ODI and T20I squads: Arafat Minhas, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah, and Muhammad Irfan Khan.
Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Faisal Akram, Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Hasnain, and Saim Ayub have been selected only for the ODIs, while Jahandad Khan, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Omair Bin Yousuf, Sahibzada Farhan, Sufyan Moqim, and Usman Khan will replace them for the T20Is.
Seven members of the ODI squad—Babar Azam, Faisal Akram, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Hasnain, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, and Shaheen Shah Afridi—will depart for Melbourne on Monday, October 28, with the remaining ODI players leaving on Tuesday, October 29. Pakistan’s white-ball coach, Gary Kirsten, is scheduled to join the squad in Melbourne on October 28.
Squad for Australia
ODI SQUAD: Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Arafat Minhas, Babar Azam, Faisal Akram, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah (WK), Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Rizwan (WK), Muhammad Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Shaheen Shah Afridi
T20 SQUAD: Arafat Minhas, Babar Azam, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah, Jahandad Khan, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Rizwan (WK), Muhammad Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Omair Bin Yousuf, Sahibzada Farhan, Salman Ali Agha, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufyan Moqim, Usman Khan
Squad for Zimbabwe
ODI SQUAD: Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Ahmed Daniyal, Faisal Akram, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah (WK), Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Rizwan (WK), Muhammad Irfan Khan, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Shahnawaz Dahani and Tayyab Tahir
T20I SQUAD: Ahmed Daniyal, Arafat Minhas, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah (WK), Jahandad Khan, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Hasnain, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Omair bin Yousuf, Qasim Akram, Sahibzada Farhan, Salman Ali Agha, Sufyan Moqim, Tayyab Tahir and Usman Khan
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