Pakistan have left Hasan Nawaz out of both the one-day and T20 squads for the coming home fixtures against Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe, choosing instead to let the 22-year-old regain form in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy. The selectors have not named an ODI replacement, while Fakhar Zaman returns to the T20I group.
Chief selector Wahab Riaz explained in a brief media release, “Hasan needs a stretch of first-class cricket to find rhythm. International cricket can wait a fortnight.” The decision ends a turbulent two-month spell for the right-hander, who burst on to the scene with a dazzling hundred at Eden Park in March yet now finds himself outside the XI.
Key numbers first
• 4 ODIs, average 56.33 – all against West Indies in August
• 16 T20Is, strike rate 149, but five ducks in his first ten innings
• Last eight T20Is: seven single-figure scores, average 6.8
The selectors plainly value that ceiling – a strike rate above 162 in this year’s PSL shows why – but recent dismissals have forced a rethink. Most eye-catching was the wild charge at George Linde in the first West Indies ODI; Nawaz was stumped by a yard and looked bereft of a plan. “It was a rush of blood, nothing more,” the batter told reporters at the time, though the clip has been replayed often enough that it keeps resurfacing.
For the immediate future Pakistan will lean on players they trust to bat to situation more than potential. Salman Ali Agha retains the T20I captaincy, while Shaheen Shah Afridi leads the ODI side – the reverse of what many expected a year ago. Fakhar’s recall gives the T20 outfit a left-hand option up top; his ability to club spin on turning surfaces was missed during the Asia Cup, where Pakistan’s middle overs occasionally stalled.
Former opener Bazid Khan, speaking on a local podcast, backed the move. “Fakhar is proven at this level. Hasan isn’t done, but international cricket doesn’t wait for you to fix your technique.” It is a blunt assessment, though in line with the selectors’ call.
Hasan, for his part, has accepted the decision. “I know runs at domestic level still count,” he said after Northern’s practice session in Rawalpindi. “If I get a double-hundred this week, the conversation changes.” There is no sense of the door being closed; merely, the handle is on the inside for now.
Fixtures on the horizon
11–15 November: three ODIs v Sri Lanka (Karachi, Lahore, Rawalpindi)
17–26 November: T20I tri-series v Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe – the first such tournament staged in Pakistan
The tri-series will serve as an early look at Pakistan’s T20 plans for 2026. Assistant coach Mohammad Yousuf noted, “We want clarity on roles before the next World Cup cycle really bites.” Translation: positions two to six remain open, and Hasan’s absence will let others press their claims.
Squads in full
ODIs: Shaheen Shah Afridi (capt), Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Faisal Akram, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah, Hussain Talat, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha.
T20I tri-series: Salman Ali Agha (capt), Abdul Samad, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Mohammad Salman Mirza, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan (wk), Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usman Khan (wk), Usman Tariq.
Analysis – what now for Hasan?
Pakistan’s batting group remains light on genuine six-hitters through the middle overs; Nawaz’s raw power made him tempting. Yet execution, not potential, wins international matches. If he can pair that power with a calmer shot-selection in the domestic grind, the door will re-open quickly. For now, Pakistan gamble on stability, and Hasan gambles on weight of runs.
It feels fair all round.
