Babar, Shaheen, Naseem in for Australia tour but out of Zimbabwe series

• PCB expected to announce white-ball captain later today.
• Mohammad Rizwan to be rested from Zimbabwe T20I series.
• Multiple domestic performers to make international debut.

LAHORE: The Pakistan cricket selectors have announced separate 15-member squads for the upcoming tours of Australia and Zimbabwe, where the national side will play three ODIs and three T20Is each.

Star players Babar Azam, Naseem Shah and Shaheen Shah Afridi, who were given a break from the last two Tests against England are set to 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 will be rested from the Zimbabwe T20Is.

The Australia tour will run from November 4 to 8, while the matches in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, will be played from November 24 to December 5, said the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) in a press release.

The approach to rest players follows the selectors' rotation policy, which provides opportunities to domestic performers, aligning with the team's strategy for the ICC Champions Trophy and beyond, the PCB said.

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.

Meanwhile, Kamran Ghulam, Omair Bin Yousuf and Sufyan Moqim will make their national side debut, 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, player of the Champions One-Day Cup in Faisalabad last month with 17 wickets, also returns to the ODI side. He 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 for Australia tour. They are Arafat Minhas, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah and Muhammad Irfan Khan.

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

Seven ODI squad members for Australia tour — Babar, Faisal Akram, Haris Rauf, Hasnain, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, and Shaheen — will depart for Melbourne on Monday, October 28, while the remenant will take off on Tuesday, October 29. 

Pakistan’s white-ball coach, Gary Kirsten, will join the squad in Melbourne on October 28.

Meanwhile, the squads for ODIs and T20Is in Zimbabwe tour are dominated by domestic performers. 

Ahmed Daniyal, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah, Mohammad Hasnain, Muhammad Irfan Khan and Tayyab Tahir are the other players apart from Salman who have been selected for both the formats.

Besides that, Aamir, Abdullah, Abrar Ahmed, Faisal, Kamran, Rizwan, Saim and Shahnawaz Dahani have been picked in the ODI side but will be replaced by Arafat, Jahandad, Abbas, Omair, Qasim Akram, Sahibzada, Abbas and Usman for the shortest format of the game.

Haseebullah, Haris, Irfan and Salman are the four players who will be constantly in the team from the start of the Australia tour to the end of Zimbabwe tour.

The name of Pakistan’s white-ball captain will be unveiled by PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi in a press conference in Lahore slated for 3:30pm this afternoon.

Squads

ODI squad for Australia: Aamir, Abdullah Shafique, Arafat, Babar, Faisal Akram, Haris, Haseebullah (WK), Kamran, Hasnain, Rizwan (WK), Muhammad Irfan Khan, Naseem, Saim, Salman, Shaheen

T20I squad for Australia: Arafat, Babar, Haris, Haseebullah, Jahandad, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Rizwan (WK), Irfan, Naseem Shah, Omair, Sahibzada, Salman, Shaheen, Sufyan, Usman.

ODI squad for Zimbabwe: Aamir, Abdullah, Abrar, Ahmed Daniyal, Faisal Akram, Haris, Haseebullah (WK), Kamran, Hasnain, Rizwan (WK), Irfan, Saim, Salman, Dahani and Tayyab Tahir.

T20I squad for Zimbabwe: Ahmed Daniyal, Arafat, Haris, Haseebullah (WK), Jahandad, Abbas, Hasnain, Irfan, Omair, Qasim Akram, Sahibzada, Salman, Sufyan, Tayyab Tahir and Usman.

Schedule of white-ball series:

(Australia tour)

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

(Zimbabwe tour)

November 24: ODI, Bulawayo

November 26: ODI, Bulawayo

November 28: ODI, Bulawayo

December 1: T20I, Bulawayo

December 3: T20I, Bulawayo

December 5: T20I, Bulawayo