ISLAMABAD: Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi and Mohammad Rizwan have remained a highlight and pillar of Pakistan’s cricket team in the recent past, however, their continued exclusion from the team as selectors finalise squads for upcoming international assignments has raised questions about the senior players’ future roles in the T20 format.
The Pakistan team is set to tour Bangladesh and the West Indies in back-to-back T20I series.
The official announcement of the squads is expected in the first week of July, ahead of a short but crucial training camp scheduled in Karachi starting July 8. Players selected for the dual tours are to assemble on July 7. Head coach Mike Hesson, currently in New Zealand, is set to return to the country by July 5 to oversee preparations.
Babar, Rizwan, and Shaheen, who were rested for the recent home series against Bangladesh, are once again expected to miss out. According to sources close to the selection committee, the think-tank remains unconvinced about including them in the upcoming series.
“Selectors do not appear interested in recalling Babar or Rizwan at this stage, and there are reservations even about Shaheen’s involvement in the T20 matches against Bangladesh and West Indies,” a well-placed source told the publication.
The squads for both tours are expected to mirror the youthful combination that impressed during the recent three-match series against Bangladesh at home, signalling the selectors’ desire to test Pakistan’s bench strength ahead of a busy international calendar.
Salman Ali Agha is poised to continue as captain, with the top-order featuring a promising mix of power and flair — Fakhar Zaman, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, and Mohammad Haris. The middle-order duties are expected to be shared among Salman himself, Shadab Khan, Irfan Khan, Khushdil Shah, and the rising talent Hasan Nawaz.
In the spin department, selectors are strongly considering adding left-arm spinner Sufyan Moqeem to the squad, especially with conditions in Bangladesh likely to favour spin. While some within the selection panel question the need for another spinner given the presence of Shadab Khan and Abrar Ahmad, others view Sufyan as a long-term investment who deserves exposure at this level.
Pace options are likely to include Haris Rauf, Abbas Afridi, Waseem Jr, Hasan Ali, and Faheem Ashraf, with the possibility of a surprise inclusion to keep the squad dynamic and versatile.
Additionally, a separate back-up squad is also set to be named for the Pakistan Shaheens’ tour of England, beginning mid-July. The Shaheens are expected to play a series of red-ball matches during their stay, offering valuable exposure to emerging cricketers in longer-format conditions.
The omission of big names may signal a strategic shift towards grooming a new generation for the future, but it also leaves open-ended questions about whether the experienced trio has been benched temporarily or is being quietly phased out of Pakistan’s white-ball future.
