Pakistan have confirmed a 15-man squad for the three T20Is in Bangladesh (20-24 July), and it looks quite different to the group that swept the same opponents 3-0 at home in May.
Key absentees first. Shadab Khan is still recovering from shoulder surgery, while Haris Rauf has aggravated a hamstring picked up during Major League Cricket in the United States and is unavailable for “at least a few weeks”, according to the PCB medical staff. Fast bowlers Hasan Ali, Mohammad Wasim and Naseem Shah, plus middle-order batter Irfan Khan, have also been left out.
Stepping in are five men with limited – in some cases zero – international experience. Right-arm seamer Ahmed Daniyal and left-arm quick Salman Mirza are uncapped. Wrist-spinner Sufiyan Muqeem has 10 T20Is to his name, and top-order hitter Hasan Nawaz only eight. Medium-pacer Abbas Afridi is the most seasoned of the new group with 21 appearances since debuting early last year.
Why these names? Recent Pakistan Super League form plays a part. Afridi finished fourth on the PSL wicket chart (17 in 11 for Karachi Kings), Mirza impressed with nine wickets in four outings for Lahore Qalandars, and Nawaz was the tournament’s third-highest run-scorer – 399 at a strike-rate north of 160 for Quetta Gladiators. Chief selector Wahab Riaz noted in a release that the management “wanted to reward consistency at domestic level and build depth before the 2026 World Cup”.
Mike Hesson, now into his second white-ball assignment as Pakistan coach, sees the tour as “another step towards settling roles” ahead of the next global tournament in India and Sri Lanka. The former New Zealand boss has spoken privately of wanting a larger pool of seamers who can bowl at the death – an area where Rauf’s absence will be felt.
The captaincy stays with Salman Agha. The 31-year-old all-rounder led in May and, at least publicly, seems relaxed about the turnover. “We’re missing two match-winners, but it’s also a chance for fresh energy,” he told local media at the National High-Performance Centre. “Bangladesh in their own conditions test your game awareness. Whoever puts on the shirt has to be ready for that.”
Pakistan have trimmed the squad by one player compared to the spring series, which allowed an extra bowling option on spin-friendly surfaces in Lahore and Multan. In Dhaka, where evening dew is common, the balance could change: Abrar Ahmed’s mystery spin and Muqeem’s left-arm wrist-spin offer variety, while Faheem Ashraf, Khushdil Shah and Mohammad Nawaz provide all-round back-up.
The PCB also confirmed that selections for the following white-ball trip to the West Indies – T20Is in Lauderhill, ODIs in Tarouba – “will be announced in due course,” the board said in a short statement on Monday.
Squad in full
Salman Agha (capt), Abrar Ahmed, Ahmed Daniyal, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Hasan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Haris (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Sahibzada Farhan (wk), Saim Ayub, Salman Mirza, Sufiyan Muqeem.
Fixtures
20 July – 1st T20I, Mirpur
22 July – 2nd T20I, Mirpur
24 July – 3rd T20I, Mirpur
Bangladesh have not yet named their squad, but are expected to retain the core that toured Pakistan earlier in the year. The series will be the first bilateral contest hosted at the Shere Bangla National Stadium since its outfield renovation last winter.
Plenty for Pakistan to ponder, then, especially with two senior bowlers in the treatment room. Equally, it is a window for Daniyal, Mirza and company to show they can handle international pressure. As Salman Agha put it, “If you want a World Cup ticket, this is where the journey starts.”
