Pakistan T20I & ODI squads for Australia, Zimbabwe tours announced; Babar Azam returns, Fakhar Zaman dropped

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has officially unveiled 15-member squads set for back-to-back tours in Australia and Zimbabwe, where the Pakistan cricket team will compete in three ODIs and three T20Is each.

Pakistan’s high-intensity schedule will kick off with the Australia tour from November 4-18, followed by the white-ball matches in Zimbabwe from November 24 to December 5.

PCB announced 15-member squads for the Australia and Zimbabwe tour

Babar Azam, Naseem Shah, and Shaheen Afridi, who were given a short break during the England Test series, will rejoin the Pakistan cricket team for the Australia leg, but they are set to rest for the Zimbabwe tour. Notably, star batter Fakhar Zaman has been dropped.

Mohammad Rizwan will play in the T20Is and ODIs against Australia and Zimbabwe ODIs as well, but the star wicketkeeper-batter will sit out the Zimbabwe T20Is to manage his workload. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi will announce Pakistan’s new white-ball captain in Lahore on Sunday (October 27) at 3:30 PM.

Meanwhile, seven members of Pakistan’s ODI squad, including Babar Azam, Faisal Akram, Haris Rauf, Mohammed Hasnain, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, and Shaheen Shah Afridi, are set to fly out to Melbourne on Monday, October 28.

The rest of the ODI players will depart on Tuesday, October 29. On the other hand, Pakistan’s white-ball coach Gary Kirsten is also scheduled to join the squad in Melbourne on Monday, where preparations for the upcoming white-ball series will begin.

Several players will make white-ball debuts on Australia and Zimbabwe tours

Well, Aamir Jamal, Arafat Minhas, Faisal Akram, Haseebullah, Muhammad Irfan Khan, and Saim Ayub are the uncapped players named in the ODI squads for the upcoming white-ball series. Jahandad Khan and Salman Ali Agha are also set to make their T20I debuts on the upcoming tours.

Kamran Ghulam, Omair Bin Yousuf, and Sufyan Moqim have also been handed the maiden call-up to the Pakistan cricket team. Pakistan’s fast bowler Mohammad Hasnain, who took 17 wickets in the Champions One-Day Cup in Faisalabad last month, also returned to the ODI side.

Notably, Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Faisal Akram, Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Hasnain, and Saim Ayub have been picked exclusively for the ODI matches. For the T20Is, they will be replaced by Jahandad Khan, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Omair Bin Yousuf, Sahibzada Farhan, Sufyan Moqim, and Usman Khan.

Pakistan squad for Australia tour:

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

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

Pakistan squad for Zimbabwe tour:

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

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

Australia vs Pakistan Fixtures:

4 November: First ODI at the MCG, Melbourne

8 November: Second ODI at the Adelaide Oval, Adelaide

10 November: Third ODI at the Perth Stadium, Perth

14 November: First T20I at The Gabba, Brisbane

16 November: Second T20I at the SCG, Sydney

18 November: third T20I at the Bellerive Oval, Hobart

Zimbabwe vs Pakistan Fixtures:

24 November: First ODI at the Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo

26 November: Second ODI at the Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo

28 November: Third ODI at the Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo

1 December: First T20I at the Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo

3 December: Second T20I at the Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo

5 December: Third T20I at the Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo