Babar, Rizwan, Shaheen dropped from Pakistan T20I squad for series against Bangladesh
Synopsis
Pakistan has announced a 16-player squad for their upcoming T20I series against Bangladesh, marking Mike Hesson's debut as head coach. Notable absentees include Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, and Shaheen Afridi due to poor performance in PSL 2025.
Pakistan have unveiled a 16-player squad for their upcoming series, marking the beginning of Mike Hesson's tenure as head coach. This will be Hesson's first assignment since taking charge of the national team, according to the official website of ICC.
A host of big names remain on the outer as Pakistan revealed their squad for their upcoming three-match T20I series at home against Bangladesh.
Former skipper Babar Azam, veteran keeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan and pace spearhead Shaheen Afridi are notable absentees from the 16-player group that will take on Bangladesh in three matches in Lahore.
Babar Azam's form affected due to his repeated captaincy exits
Babar's sharp decline in form has coincided with his repeated exits from captaincy. After stepping down as Pakistan's captain across all formats following the conclusion of the ODI World Cup 2023, Shaheen Afridi took over the leadership. However, after just one series, Babar was reinstated as the white-ball captain ahead of the ICC T20 World Cup 2024.
Following the tournament, Babar stepped down once again, marking his second resignation within a year.
Batter Salman Ali Agha will continue as skipper with all-rounder Shadab Khan his deputy, while experienced white-ball performers Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf and Naseem Shah are also included.
Pakistan trio excluded from T20I squad
But there is no room for Babar, Rizwan and Shaheen, with Pakistan declaring the selection of the squad was based upon performances during the ongoing Pakistan Super League season.
The series will be the first in charge of new Pakistan coach Mike Hesson, with the schedule for the series to be announced in the coming days.
Pakistan squad: Salman Ali Agha (c), Shadab Khan (vc), Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Hassan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Haris, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub.