Babar Azam is not selected for PAK vs BAN ODIs (PC-AFP.com)
Pakistan, after an early exit from the 2026 T20 World Cup, are on the road again. The Men in Green will be playing three ODI matches against Bangladesh, starting this Wednesday (March 11), under Shaheen Afridi's leadership.
The Pakistan team were eliminated from the recently concluded tournament in the Super 8s, which has prompted various changes to Pakistan's white-ball squad, with the likes of Babar Azam, Saim Ayub and Mohammad Nawaz dropped for the upcoming three-game tour of Bangladesh.
Shaheen Afridi doesn't back Babar Azam
On the eve of the start of the series, Shaheen Afridi has made a massive statement that puts Babar Azam's future on the back burner. The newly appointed ODI captain has revealed Pakistan's latest plans, considering the next megaevent scheduled for October-November next year in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia.
"We want to prepare our team for the World Cup, and we want to give a chance to young players because they are our future," Shaheen Afridi said on the eve of the three-game series against Bangladesh.
The statement from Shaheen can be seen as a hint at Babar Azam’s future, at least in the white-ball formats. It is worth noting that Babar’s place has been a national debate since his dip in form in 2023.
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Moreover, Pakistan’s head coach, Mike Hesson, made a statement on the same lines when asked about whether Babar Azam was dropped.
“I wouldn’t say anyone was dropped. We just see this series as an opportunity to give these promising players a chance to prove themselves,” Mike Hesson said.
Below-par Pakistan in T20 WC 2026
Apart from Sahibzada Farhan, the whole Pakistan squad underperformed throughout the T20 World Cup as they were knocked out of the tournament after winning just a single game in Super 8s.
Interestingly, Sahibzada Farhan made history by hitting most runs in a single edition of the T20 World Cup, with 383 runs including two centuries. Moreover, Pakistan's next highest run-scorers were Shadab Khan (118 runs) and Fakhar Zaman (109 runs).
On the other hand, the well-decorated bowling line-up also had a below-par time in the tournament, with Usman Tariq (10 wickets) ending as the team's highest wicket-taker.
After the poor show in the 2026 T20 World Cup, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) decided to drop the majority of the players from that squad for the upcoming series. Only five members of the T20 World Cup squad have retained their places, as the newly appointed selection panel are looking to test younger players rather than tested names.
Pakistan's squads for Bangladesh 2026 ODI series
Shaheen Afridi (c), Abdul Samad, Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Faisal Akram, Haris Rauf, Hussain Talat, Maaz Sadaqat, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Mohammad Wasim, Muhammad Ghazi Ghori, Saad Masood, Sahibzada Farhan, Salman Agha, Shamyl Hussain
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