Pakistan Squad For Bangladesh Tour Announced: Babar Azam, Saim Ayub Dropped

Babar Azam (Source: X)

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) made wholesale changes to Pakistan’s squad for the forthcoming three-match ODI series in Bangladesh, scheduled to take place on March 11, March 13 and March 15 respectively. In a massive development, Babar Azam and Saim Ayub – two of the household names in Pakistan cricket – have been dropped from the squad.

Along with Babar and Saim, popular names like injured Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Nawaz, and Naseem Shah have also lost their places in the ODI squad, along with Haseebullah and Hasan Nawaz. To fill their void, Abdul Samad, Shamyl Hussain, Ghazi Ghori, Saad Masood, Maaz Sadaqat and Pakistan’s T20 World Cup hero Sahibzada Farhan have made the cut.

6 Uncapped Pakistan Players Included For Bangladesh ODIs

There will be special attention given to Maaz Sadaqat, who will represent Pakistan for the first time if they hand over the ODI cap during the Bangladesh tour. Sadaqat, 20 now, made a 36-ball 53 for Pakistan Shaheens in a recent match against England Lions, and got rewarded straightaway to share the dressing room with the senior pros.

Sadaqat is among the six uncapped players in Pakistan’s squad, which includes Abdul Samad, Muhammad Ghazi Ghori, Saad Masood, Sahibzada Farhan and Shamyl Hussain. Samad, Masood and Shamyl were all part of the Pakistan Shaheens squad against the England Lions lately.

Also Read: Pakistan's Star Player Offers To Pay PKR 50 Lakh Fine For T20 World Cup Squad

Pakistan Squad For Bangladesh ODIs

Shaheen Afridi (c), Abdul Samad, Abrar Ahmed, F Ashraf, Faisal Akram, Haris Rauf, H Talat, M Sadaqat, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), M Wasim, Ghazi Ghori (wk), Saad Masood, S Farhan, Salman Ali Agha and Shamyl Hussain

Shaheen Shah Afridi Continues As Pakistan ODI Captain

In another important development, Pakistan’s star pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi will continue to captain their side in the 50-over format. The 25-year-old, who was dropped from Pakistan’s playing XI during T20 World Cup 2026 after a dismal start, will keep on doing his leadership in duties in ODIs, as confirmed by the PCB.

This will be Shaheen’s second ODI assignment as Pakistan captain, with the previous being a home affair against South Africa. There, they won with a 2-1 scoreline, and all the focus will be on him regarding how he fares when Mirpur will have all three Pakistan versus Bangladesh ODIs.

Pakistan vs Bangladesh Head To Head In ODIs

In total, Pakistan and Bangladesh have faced each other in 39 ODIs. Of them, the Men in Green have won 34 times, while the Tigers had the last laugh on five occasions.

The Bangladesh versus Pakistan ODI last happened in 2023, during the ODI World Cup at Eden Gardens. There, Pakistan won by seven wickets, with Fakhar Zaman winning the player of the match award with a 74-ball 81. Riding on his knock, Pakistan chased down 205-run target with ease, having got seven wickets and 17 overs in hand.

Also Read: Mike Hesson Faces Heat From Salman Agha After Pakistan's Shambolic T20 WC Performance