Pakistan selectors have decided not to include senior players Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, and Shaheen Afridi in the national squad for the upcoming T20I series against the West Indies and Bangladesh.
This decision has been made to manage the trio’s workload and help them focus more on the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2025-27 and upcoming ODI assignments.
The T20I squad for the upcoming T20I series against the West Indies and Bangladesh is expected to be announced next week by the selection panel, which includes Aaqib Javed, Aleem Dar, Azhar Ali, and Asad Shafiq. These two T20 series will be played in July and August.
Pakistan head coach Mike Hesson and the national selectors have already informed Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, and Shaheen Afridi that they will not be part of the T20I squad for the upcoming tours of the West Indies and Bangladesh.
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Pakistan’s tour of the West Indies will begin in the last week of July, where they will play three T20I matches followed by three ODI matches. After the conclusion of the white-ball series in the Caribbean, the Men in Green will head to Bangladesh for another T20I series.
Currently, the Tigers and the Men in Green are scheduled to play three T20I matches, but discussions are ongoing about extending it to five games in August.
Later in August, Pakistan are also scheduled to host Afghanistan for another T20I series. All these matches are being seen as part of Pakistan’s preparation for the Asia Cup 2025, which is likely to be held in September, and the ICC T20 World Cup 2026.
Mike Hesson aims to invest in young guns ahead of T20 World Cup 2026
Meanwhile, a source close to one of the national selectors revealed that the selection panel, along with head coach Mike Hesson, wants to give young players a fair chance in the upcoming T20I game.
They believe this is the right time to test fresh talent and let them gain experience by playing regularly, without the pressure of competing with senior players, ahead of the big events.
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The source was quoted as saying by PTI, “The idea is that if things go south, then the selectors can always go back to Babar, Rizwan, and Shaheen.”
Interestingly, Shaheen Afridi recently guided Lahore Qalandars to their third Pakistan Super League (PSL) title in just five years, which proves his captaincy credentials.
Babar Azam set for BBL actions
On the other hand, Babar Azam is expected to announce his debut in Australia’s Big Bash League (BBL) with the Sydney Sixers later this week.
The PCB has already granted Babar and a few other players No Objection Certificates (NOCs) to participate in the BBL 2025-26.
Notably, Babar, Afridi, and Rizwan were dropped for the last two T20I series against New Zealand and Bangladesh. In fact, even before that, Babar was not selected for the T20 series in Australia, Zimbabwe, and South Africa.
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