LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced 15-member squads for the tours of Australia and Zimbabwe on Sunday, where the national side will play three ODIs and three T20Is each.
The Australia tour will run from 4-18 November, while the matches in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, will be played from 24 November to 5 December.
Babar Azam, Naseem Shah and Shaheen Shah Afridi, who were given a break from the last two Tests against England, returned for the Australia matches but will be rested for the Zimbabwe tour.
Similarly, Mohammad Rizwan will be available for the Australia matches and Zimbabwe ODIs, but will be rested from the Zimbabwe T20Is.
This approach follows the selectors’ rotation policy and provides opportunities to domestic performers, aligning with the team’s strategy for the ICC Champions Trophy and beyond.
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 join the T20I squad for the first time.
Kamran Ghulam, Omair Bin Yousuf and Sufyan Moqim make their national side debut, having previously played limited-overs internationals.
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Kamran served as a concussion substitute for Haris Sohail against New Zealand in an ODI in January 2023, while Omair and Sufyan debuted in the T20I format against Hong Kong during the Asian Games men’s cricket competition.
Fast bowler Mohammad Hasnain, player of the Champions One-Day Cup in Faisalabad last month with 17 wickets, also returns to the ODI side, having last represented Pakistan in an ODI against New Zealand in January 2023.
Apart from Babar, Naseem, Rizwan, Salman, and Shaheen, four other players have been selected in both the ODI and T20I squads. They are: Arafat Minhas, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah and Muhammad Irfan Khan.
Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Faisal Akram, Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Hasnain, and Saim Ayub are selected solely for the ODIs and will be replaced by Jahandad Khan, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Omair Bin Yousuf, Sahibzada Farhan, Sufyan Moqim, and Usman Khan for the T20Is.
Seven ODI squad members – Babar Azam, Faisal Akram, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Hasnain, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, and Shaheen Shah Afridi – will depart for Melbourne on Monday, 28 October, with the remaining ODI players leaving on Tuesday, 29 October. Pakistan’s white-ball coach, Gary Kirsten, will join the squad in Melbourne on 28 October.
Domestic performers dominate Pakistan squads for Zimbabwe ODIs and T20Is
Ahmed Daniyal, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah, Mohammad Hasnain, Muhammad Irfan Khan and Tayyab Tahir are the other players apart from Salman Ali Agha who have been selected for both formats.
Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Faisal Akram, Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Rizwan, Saim Ayub and Shahnawaz Dahani have been picked in the ODI side and will be replaced by Arafat Minhas, Jahandad Khan, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Omair Bin Yousuf, Qasim Akram, Sahibzada Farhan, Mohammad Abbas Afridi and Usman Khan for the shortest format of the game.
Haseebullah, Haris Rauf, Muhammad Irfan Khan and Salman Ali Agha are the four players who will be part of the squads from the start of the Australia tour to the end of the Zimbabwe tour.
Pakistan Squad for Australia Tour
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
T20I 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
Pakistan Squad for Zimbabwe Tour
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
READ: Babar Azam, Rizwan retained in category A as PCB announces central contracts