PCB Unveils Pakistan Squads for Australia and Zimbabwe Tours

PCB Unveils Pakistan Squads for Australia and Zimbabwe Tours

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Sunday announced the squads for the tours of Australia and Zimbabwe, where the national side will play three ODIs and three T20Is each. The Australia tour will run from November 4-18, while the matches in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, are scheduled from November 24 to December 5.

Pakistan’s white-ball captain will be announced by PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi during a media conference in Lahore later today.

Babar Azam, Naseem Shah, and Shaheen Shah Afridi, who were given a break from the last two Tests against England, will return for the Australia matches but will be rested for the Zimbabwe tour. Similarly, Mohammad Rizwan will be available for the Australia matches and Zimbabwe ODIs, but he will be rested from the Zimbabwe T20Is.

This approach aligns with the selectors’ rotation policy and provides opportunities for domestic performers, supporting the team’s strategy for the ICC Champions Trophy and beyond.

Uncapped players in the ODI squad include Aamir Jamal, Arafat Minhas, Faisal Akram, Haseebullah, Muhammad Irfan Khan, and Saim Ayub. Jahandad Khan and Salman Ali Agha will join the T20I squad for the first time.

Kamran Ghulam, Omair Bin Yousuf, and Sufyan Moqim make their national side debuts, having previously played limited-overs internationals. Kamran served as a concussion substitute for Haris Sohail against New Zealand in an ODI in January 2023, while Omair and Sufyan debuted in the T20I format against Hong Kong during the Asian Games men’s cricket competition.

Fast bowler Mohammad Hasnain, who was named player of the Champions One-Day Cup in Faisalabad last month with 17 wickets, also returns to the ODI side, having last represented Pakistan in an ODI against New Zealand in January 2023.

Apart from Babar, Naseem, Rizwan, Salman, and Shaheen, four other players have been selected in both the ODI and T20I squads: Arafat Minhas, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah, and Muhammad Irfan Khan.

Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Faisal Akram, Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Hasnain, and Saim Ayub are selected solely for the ODIs and will be replaced by Jahandad Khan, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Omair Bin Yousuf, Sahibzada Farhan, Sufyan Moqim, and Usman Khan for the T20Is.

Seven ODI squad members – Babar Azam, Faisal Akram, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Hasnain, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, and Shaheen Shah Afridi – will depart for Melbourne on Monday, October 28, with the remaining ODI players leaving on Tuesday, October 29. Pakistan’s white-ball coach, Gary Kirsten, will join the squad in Melbourne on October 28.

ODI Squad: Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Arafat Minhas, Babar Azam, Faisal Akram, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah (WK), Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Rizwan (WK), Muhammad Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Shaheen Shah Afridi

T20I Squad: Arafat Minhas, Babar Azam, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah, Jahandad Khan, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Rizwan (WK), Muhammad Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Omair Bin Yousuf, Sahibzada Farhan, Salman Ali Agha, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufyan Moqim, Usman Khan

Domestic performers dominate Pakistan’s squads for Zimbabwe ODIs and T20Is. Ahmed Daniyal, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah, Mohammad Hasnain, Muhammad Irfan Khan, and Tayyab Tahir, along with Salman Ali Agha, are among those selected for both formats.

Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Faisal Akram, Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Rizwan, Saim Ayub, and Shahnawaz Dahani have been chosen for the ODIs and will be replaced by Arafat Minhas, Jahandad Khan, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Omair Bin Yousuf, Qasim Akram, Sahibzada Farhan, and Usman Khan for the T20Is.

Haseebullah, Haris Rauf, Muhammad Irfan Khan, and Salman Ali Agha are the four players who will be part of the squads from the start of the Australia tour through to the end of the Zimbabwe tour.

ODI Squad: Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Ahmed Daniyal, Faisal Akram, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah (WK), Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Rizwan (WK), Muhammad Irfan Khan, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Shahnawaz Dahani, Tayyab Tahir

T20I Squad: Ahmed Daniyal, Arafat Minhas, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah (WK), Jahandad Khan, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Hasnain, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Omair Bin Yousuf, Qasim Akram, Sahibzada Farhan, Salman Ali Agha, Sufyan Moqim, Tayyab Tahir, Usman Khan

Schedule of Pakistan’s White-Ball Matches Against Australia and Zimbabwe:

• November 4: ODI, MCG, Melbourne

• November 8: ODI, Adelaide Oval, Adelaide

• November 10: ODI, Perth Stadium, Perth

• November 14: T20I, The Gabba, Brisbane

• November 16: T20I, SCG, Sydney

• November 18: T20I, Bellerive Oval, Hobart

• November 24: ODI, Bulawayo

• November 26: ODI, Bulawayo

• November 28: ODI, Bulawayo

• December 1: T20I, Bulawayo

• December 3: T20I, Bulawayo

• December 5: T20I, Bulawayo