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Khushdil Shah has sparked a fresh controversy after his indirect attack on Shadab Khan created fresh drama in Pakistan cricket. The Pakistan all-rounder reshared a post that questioned the selection of Shadab Khan in the ODI squad, leaving everyone completely shocked.
The timing of Shah’s activity raised eyebrows as Pakistan had just announced the 16-member squad for the upcoming three-match ODI series against the Australian national cricket team. Soon after the team announcement, fans started questioning some surprising selection calls, especially Shadab Khan’s comeback and the omission of a few senior and young players.
Khushdil Shah’s viral repost creates fresh drama in Pakistan
Pakistan’s ODI squad for the Australia tour saw major changes. Players like Babar Azam, Haris Rauf, Naseem Shah, and Shadab Khan have made the comebacks, while former captain Mohammad Rizwan and Khushdil Shah were dropped from the side, with Shaheen Afridi being named captain.
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Interestingly, the uncapped trio of Ahmed Daniyal, Arafat Minhas, and Rohail Nazir have been picked for the ODI series starting on May 30 at home.
After the squad announcement, an X account named 'Caught At Silly Point' posted a tweet questioning the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) about Shadab’s relevance in ODIs in 2026. The post also raised questions about the Pakistan team management and selection committee’s several other decisions.
'How on earth is Shadab still considered relevant in ODIs in 2026?'
Khushdil Shah posted on X: “What the hell is wrong with the PCB? How on earth is Shadab still considered relevant in ODIs in 2026? This is a joke with Pakistan fans. They are really mocking us now. Was this not a series to test a young pacer like Ali Raza or Ubaid Shah?
And are we convinced that the Rizwan chapter is closed in ODIs? So his replacements, Rohail and Ghouri, would perfectly justify his replacement? Where is Saad Masood? You selected him in the previous series and now dropped him? Were you wrong then, or are you wrong now?”
Things turned ugly when Khushdil Shah shared this post from his official account. Since Khushdil himself was not selected for the ODI squad, many felt the all-rounder was indirectly expressing his own frustration over the selection process.
Khushdil Shah reposted a tweet against Shadab Khan. 🤯
— Sheri. (@CallMeSheri1_) May 22, 2026
- For the first time, an active cricketer has spoken out against Shadab Khan. pic.twitter.com/4fw6N8ezx6
Usman Khan ruled out of Australia series due to illness
On the other hand, Salman Ali Agha, Abdul Samad, Abrar Ahmed, Maaz Sadaqat, Muhammad Ghazi Ghori, Sahibzada Farhan, and Shamyl Hussain, who were all part of Pakistan’s Bangladesh tour, have been picked for the upcoming ODI series against the Australian side.
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Usman Khan will miss the tour because of illness. Muhammad Ghazi Ghori and Rohail Nazir have been selected as the wicketkeeper-batters in the squad. This will be Australia’s first ODI series in Pakistan since 2022, when Pakistan won the series 2-1 at home. Earlier this year, Pakistan had won the T20I series 3-0 against Australia in Lahore.
Pakistan squad for Australia ODIs:
Shaheen Shah Afridi (c), Salman Ali Agha, Abdul Samad, Abrar Ahmed, Ahmed Daniyal, Arafat Minhas, Babar Azam, Haris Rauf, Maaz Sadaqat, Ghazi Ghori, Naseem Shah, Rohail Nazir, Sahibzada Farhan, Shadab Khan, Shamyl Hussain, and Sufyan Moqim
