KARACHI: Star batter Babar Azam has been included in Pakistan's 16-man squad for the upcoming three-match One-Day International (ODI) series against Australia, as announced by the selectors on Friday. Babar missed the previous ODI series against Bangladesh due to a fitness issue in March but recently showcased his form by scoring 588 runs in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) and leading his team to the title earlier this month.
Squad Leadership and Key Returns
Fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi will continue to captain the side, with Salman Ali Agha appointed as the new vice-captain for this series. Alongside Babar Azam, three other key players—Haris Rauf, Naseem Shah, and Shadab Khan—have returned to the squad, all of whom missed the Bangladesh tour. Left-arm spinner Sufyan Moqim also makes a comeback to the ODI setup.
New Faces in the Squad
Three players are set to make their ODI debuts: fast bowler Ahmed Daniyal, spinning all-rounder Arafat Minhas, and wicketkeeper-batter Rohail Nazir. Nazir will serve as the deputy to first-choice wicketkeeper Muhammad Ghazi Ghori. Experienced openers Fakhar Zaman and Saim Ayub will miss the series due to injuries.
Notable Omissions
Former Pakistan captain Mohammad Rizwan has been dropped from the squad, despite being the team's leading run-scorer since the 2023 Cricket World Cup. He was part of the Test squad against Bangladesh, where his battling 94 was not enough to prevent a clean sweep by Bangladesh.
Series Schedule and Context
The Australian team is scheduled to arrive in Islamabad on May 23, though they have yet to announce their squad. The first ODI will be played in Rawalpindi on May 30, followed by matches in Lahore on June 2 and 4. This series provides both teams an opportunity to build their squads ahead of the 2027 ODI World Cup, which will be co-hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia.
Full Pakistan ODI Squad
Shaheen Shah Afridi (captain), Salman Ali Agha (vice-captain), Abdul Samad, Abrar Ahmed, Ahmed Daniyal, Arafat Minhas, Babar Azam, Haris Rauf, Maaz Sadaqat, Ghazi Ghori (wicketkeeper), Naseem Shah, Rohail Nazir (wicketkeeper), Sahibzada Farhan, Shadab Khan, Shamyl Hussain, Sufyan Moqim.
