Pakistan is set to play T20 series against West Indies and Bangladesh without star players Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, and Shaheen Afridi. The selectors aim to give younger players a chance while focusing the seniors on Tests and ODIs.
Pakistan Prepares for Busy T20 Summer
Pakistan is gearing up for two important T20 International (T20I) series this summer. They will face the West Indies and Bangladesh in July and August. The team selectors are expected to announce the squads soon, but star players Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, and Shaheen Afridi might not be part of these series.
Why Are Babar, Rizwan, and Shaheen Sitting Out?
According to reports from Indian news agency PTI, Pakistan’s white-ball coach Mike Hesson and the selection panel have decided to rest some of their senior players. They want to give younger players a chance to play and gain experience.
Hesson and the selectors have talked to Babar, Rizwan, and Shaheen about this plan. They explained that these top players won’t be needed for the T20 matches against West Indies and Bangladesh. Instead, they should focus on other important competitions like the Test Championship and One Day Internationals (ODIs).
The sources said the selectors can bring these players back if the team needs them later on.
What’s the Schedule?
According to the Future Tour Programme (FTP), Pakistan will play three T20 matches against Bangladesh in July. There is also talk of adding two more matches in August, but it’s not clear who proposed this idea.
In August, Pakistan will also play a three-match T20 series against the West Indies in Lauderhill, USA, on August 1, 3, and 4. Later that month, Pakistan will take on Afghanistan in a three-match T20 series before the Asia Cup and T20 World Cup.
Other Updates: Shaheen Afridi’s Big Bash Debut and Team Changes
Shaheen Afridi, Pakistan’s talented left-arm fast bowler, recently captained Lahore Qalandars to a Pakistan Super League (PSL) title. Now, he’s set to make his debut in Australia’s Big Bash League with the Sydney Sixers. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has given him permission to play in the tournament, which starts on December 28 and runs through mid-January.
Babar, Rizwan, and Shaheen have already missed recent T20 series against New Zealand, Bangladesh, Australia, Zimbabwe, and South Africa. Pakistan lost to New Zealand 4-1 but won against Bangladesh 3-0 at home.
The PCB also made a small change to the selection committee. Hasan Cheema replaced Usman Hashmi as the data analyst. Hashmi remains as an assistant but will no longer have voting rights. The rest of the committee, including Azhar Ali, Asad Shafiq, Aqib Javed, and former umpire Aleem Dar, stays the same.