Babar excluded as Pakistan name squad for Bangladesh ODIs

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced a 15-member One Day International (ODI) squad for the upcoming three-match series against Bangladesh Cricket Board. 

The series is scheduled to be held in Bangladesh from March 11 to 15.

The most notable exclusion from the squad is former captain Babar Azam.

In the most recent ODI series, Babar scored a century, underlining his form in the 50-over format. However, he struggled during the ICC Men's T20 World Cup, where he managed only 91 runs in six matches at a strike rate of 112.34.

Left-arm pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi will continue to lead the ODI side. The squad includes six uncapped players: Abdul Samad, Maaz Sadaqat, Muhammad Ghazi Ghori, Saad Masood, Sahibzada Farhan and Shamyl Hussain.

Among the uncapped players, Abdul Samad, Maaz Sadaqat, Saad Masood and Shamyl Hussain were recently part of the Pakistan Shaheens squad that competed against England Lions in Abu Dhabi.

All three ODIs will be played at the Shere Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur.

15-member squad:
Shaheen Shah Afridi (captain), Abdul Samad, Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Faisal Akram, Haris Rauf, Hussain Talat, Maaz Sadaqat, Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper), Mohammad Wasim Jr, Muhammad Ghazi Ghori (wicketkeeper), Saad Masood, Sahibzada Farhan, Salman Ali Agha and Shamyl Hussain.

Series schedule:
March 8 – Pakistan arrival
March 11 – First ODI at Mirpur
March 13 – Second ODI at Mirpur
March 15 – Third ODI at Mirpur