Pakistan announce squad for Australia series; Babar and Shaheen return, Fakhar Zaman dropped

Star Pakistan batter Babar Azam was dropped from the second and third Test against England following a series of subpar performances. His future in white-ball cricket was also under threat but the selectors have called him back for the upcoming away tour against Australia, slated to begin on November 4 at Melbourne Cricket Ground. However, interestingly, the former captain has been rested for the Zimbabwe series.

Ahead of the Champions Trophy, the team management was expected to back the same bunch of cricketers but the selectors decided to rotate the squad and give opportunities to players who have done well in the domestic circuit. Addressing the same, the PCB released a statement explaining their strategy for the Champions Trophy.

“This approach follows the selectors’ rotation policy and provides opportunities to domestic performers, aligning with the team’s strategy for the ICC Champions Trophy and beyond,” the PCB release added.

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Fakhar Zaman, meanwhile, has not been considered for either the Australia or Zimbabwe series. Recently, he came out in defence of Babar, criticising the team management for dropping him from the Test squad. Following that, he was also handed a show-cause notice by the PCB. 

Meanwhile, Babar’s form will be closely monitored in the series against Australia. By benching him in the Test series against England, PCB has arguably sent a statement that no position is safe and the players will have to deliver to seal their spot in the squad. Notably, Babar has played five ODI matches in Australia so far and has scored 282 runs at an average of 56.40.

On the other hand, Pakistan have nOt announced a captain for their white-ball squad. After Babar resigned from the position, Mohammad Rizwan seemed the favourite but interestingly, the team management is yet to make a decision and the squads have been announced without naming the captain.

Pakistan squad for Australia ODIs

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

Pakistan squad for Australia T20Is

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

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