Pakistan have reacted to a flat T20 World Cup by shaking up their 50-over squad, omitting established batters Saim Ayub and Babar Azam and naming six uncapped players for the three-match series in Dhaka, starting 11 March.
Captain Shaheen Shah Afridi remains in charge, with Mohammad Rizwan continuing as wicketkeeper and former skipper. Middle-order all-rounder Salman Ali Agha keeps his spot, as do leg-spinner Abrar Ahmed and seam-bowling all-rounder Faheem Ashraf. The rest of the list, though, has a very different look.
Sahibzada Farhan, currently leading the World Cup run-scoring charts, returns to the 50-over fold despite not having played a domestic List-A match since October 2024. Alongside him are 28-year-old power-hitter Abdul Samad, 21-year-old opener Shamyl Hussain, left-hand batter Maaz Sadaqat (20), Ghazi Ghori (yet to debut at any level for Pakistan) and wicketkeeper-batter Saad Masood, who has only three List-A outings to his name.
The bowling unit is more familiar. Shaheen will again spearhead the attack with Haris Rauf and Mohammad Wasim Jnr in support. Abrar is the lead spinner, backed up by left-arm wrist-spinner Faisal Akram. Hussain Talat and Faheem Ashraf offer the seam-spin balance the selectors have talked up over the past year.
Selectors, in a brief statement, said the call-ups were designed to “reward consistent domestic performers and begin building towards the 2027 World Cup”. No longer do they feel obliged to shoe-horn every big name into every limited-overs side.
Even so, Ayub’s omission raises eyebrows. The left-hander averages a shade under 50 in his first 13 ODIs, with three hundreds and two fifties, and was central to series wins in Australia and South Africa late in 2024. His part-time off-spin had also provided useful overs.
Babar, for years Pakistan’s most reliable white-ball batter, endured an uneven 2025 but finally ended a 30-month century drought against Sri Lanka only two months ago. A senior coach, speaking off the record, admitted “the door isn’t closed”, hinting the break may be temporary.
Also missing are quick Naseem Shah, working back from injury after one appearance at the T20 event, and all-rounder Mohammad Nawaz, whose poor World Cup form left him vulnerable.
Schedule
11 March: 1st ODI, Dhaka
13 March: 2nd ODI, Dhaka
15 March: 3rd ODI, Dhaka
Pakistan squad
Shaheen Shah Afridi (capt), Abdul Samad, Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Faisal Akram, Haris Rauf, Hussain Talat, Maaz Sadaqat, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Ghazi Ghori (wk), Saad Masood, Sahibzada Farhan, Salman Ali Agha, Shamyl Hussain.
Analysis – a measured gamble
The cull looks dramatic, yet Pakistan have form for rebooting after a global event. The batting group, criticised for lacking power, suddenly features Samad’s six-hitting and Farhan’s flair at the top. What they lose in experience they hope to claw back through fearlessness, a word coaches privately use even if they avoid it in press notes.
The spin department is slimmer. Abrar’s control has rarely been questioned, but relying on a lone specialist in Dhaka – where tracks can tire quickly – may place extra strain on Faisal Akram, who has just three ODIs behind him. Ayub’s part-time off-spin would have been handy; so, too, Nawaz’s left-armers.
Shaheen, still only 26, now carries not just the new ball but the responsibility of shepherding raw talent. His tactical growth has been steady, yet the coming week offers a sharper test than any bilateral assignment since he took the reins.
Bangladesh, meanwhile, are rebuilding quietly under Litton Das and will fancy their chances against an unsettled visitor. For Pakistan, the trip is less about the immediate result than about identifying who can handle international tempo. A series win would calm external noise. More importantly, clear performances – good or bad – should help the selectors decide whether the new direction remains a detour or the main road.
