The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced a 15-member squad for the upcoming three-match ODI series against Bangladesh.
The selection committee has made major changes in the team, dropping former captain Babar Azam and opener Saim Ayub, while Shaheen Shah Afridi has been retained as captain. Pakistan has relied on young blood for this series and has included 6 uncapped players in the team. These include Abdul Samad, Moaz Sadaqat, Muhammad Ghazi Ghauri, Saad Masood, Sahibzada Farhan, and Shamil Hussain. These players have recently performed prominently for Pakistan Shaheens against England Lions in Abu Dhabi.
Star opener Fakhar Zaman was ruled out of the series due to a hamstring injury, while Haris Rauf, Abrar Ahmed, and Faheem Ashraf have returned to the bowling line-up. Among others are Shaheen Shah Afridi (captain), Muhammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper), Muhammad Ghazi Ghauri (wicketkeeper), Abdul Samad, Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Faisal Akram, Haris Rauf, Hussain Talat, Moaz Sadaqat, Muhammad Wasim Jr., Saad Masood, Sahibzada Farhan, Salman Ali Agha, and Shamil Hussain.
The national team will leave for Dhaka on March 8, where all matches will be played at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium. According to the PCB, the purpose of resting Babar Azam is to give him a chance to regain his form, while the team management now wants to try new combinations in preparation for the 2027 World Cup.
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