Babar Azam Returns, SRH Record And CSK Player Retires- May 22 Cricket Highlights

Babar Azam and Ishan Kishan [Source: AFP, AP]Babar Azam has been called back by the PCB for Pakistan’s upcoming ODI series. The SRH franchise mounted a huge total against the RCB to shatter batting records. In other news, a former CSK player has announced his retirement from IPL. Capping an eventful day in the world of cricket, here we take a look at five of the biggest cricketing news that emerged out of Friday, May 22. Babar Azam returns as PAK name squad for Australia ODIs The PCB has named Pakistan’s squad for the upcoming three-match ODI series against Australia. Babar Azam will be making his return to the team after missing Pakistan’s recent ODI series against Bangladesh. Senior wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan was ruled out of the squad owing to his lackluster returns off late. Also Read- Mohsin Naqvi's PCB Sacks International Personnel After Bangladesh Defeat, Replacement AnnouncedShaheen Afridi will continue to lead the side, with all-rounder Salman Agha being named as his deputy. Salman Agha likely to replace Shan Masood as Test captain The PCB will likely sack Shan Masood as Test captain following Pakistan’s humiliating 0-2 series defeat in Bangladesh. With the latest defeat, Masood now holds one of the worst win percentages among all Pakistani Test skippers in history. According to Geo News, the PCB will likely appoint T20I skipper Salman Agha as Pakistan’s new Test captain. Pakistan’s next Test assignment will occur in July this year during an away two-match series against West Indies. Ireland name squad for New Zealand Test Cricket Ireland has named a 14-member Ireland squad for the upcoming one-off Test match against New Zealand. Senior batter Andrew Balbirnie will continue to lead the national side, and he will be accompanied by fellow star performers like Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker, Curtis Campher among others. Players like Paul Stirling, Barry McCarthy, Josh Little, Gavin Hoey and Jordan Neill, however, were excluded owing to their injuries. The board also named four potential debutants. Vijay Shankar announces retirement Former CSK all-rounder Vijay Shankar has announced his retirement from domestic cricket and IPL. His latest move will allow the 35-year-old to pursue overseas franchise T20 leagues. Once a regular member of the Indian setup way back in 2018 and 2019, Shankar has not played a single game of competitive cricket since Tripura’s Group C Ranji Trophy 2025-26 match against Gujarat four months ago. The all-rounder was part of the Indian team that played the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup in England. Abhishek, Ishan and Klaasen-starrer SRH shatter records vs RCB SRH batted first and mounted 255-4 in 20 overs against the RCB in match 67 of the IPL 2026 season. Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan and Heinrich Klaasen all bludgeoned fiery half-centuries in the innings. Ishan’s knock also helped him complete 500 runs this IPL 2026 season. With Abhishek and Klaasen also mounting over 500 runs this tournament, the SRH franchise has now become only the second side in IPL history to have three batters with 500 or more runs in a single edition of the tournament. Also Read- Rajat Patidar Becomes The Fastest Indian To Reach 'This' Six-Hitting Feat In IPL