Pakistan name full-strength squad for Australia ODIs, Babar Azam returns, Rizwan dropped

Several key figures, including Babar Azam, Naseem Shah and Shadab Khan, return to the ODIs as Pakistan have announced the squad for Australia series.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has named a full-strength squad for the upcoming three-match Test series against Australia, with several key figures making their return to the format. The series, which will commence from May 30, will be the first 50-over format series for Pakistan since their last outing against Bangladesh in March, where they lost 1-2 to the Tigers. Pakistan will want to hit the reset button and start their preparations for the 2027 World Cup on a winning note by taking down a second-string Aussie side.

Pakistan squad for Australia ODIs

Shaheen Shah Afridi, Salman Ali Agha, Abdul Samad, Abrar Ahmed, Ahmed Daniyal, Arafat Minhas, Babar Azam, Haris Rauf, Maaz Sadaqat, Muhammad Ghazi Ghori, Naseem Shah, Rohail Nazir, Sahibzada Farhan, Shadab Khan, Shamyl Hussain and Sufyan Moqim

Shaheen will continue to captain the Pakistan ODI side while Salman Ali Agha has been named his deputy for the series against Australia. Several players, such as Babar, Haris Rauf, Naseem Shah, Shadab Khan, and Sufyan Moqim, who missed the series against Bangladesh, will return to the side. Pakistan have named three uncapped players in the squad – Ahmed Daniyal, Arafat Minhas, and Rohail Nazir.

Pakistan’s regular wicketkeeper, Usman Khan, has not been picked as he was unavailable for selection due to illness. Muhammad Ghazi Ghori and Rohail Nazir have been included in the squad as keepers. A notable omission from the squad has been that of Mohammad Rizwan’s. Pakistan have, however, been dealt a blow as both Fakhar Zaman and Saim Ayub haven’t been picked as they continue to recover from their injuries.

“The PCB has announced that both players are currently recovering from injuries and have been advised to continue their rehabilitation programmes under the supervision of the PCB medical panel,” PCB said in its statement. 

The series will mark Australia’s first bilateral ODI tour of Pakistan since 2022, when the hosts secured a 2-1 series victory. Earlier this year, Pakistan also swept Australia 3-0 in a T20I series in Lahore.

Pakistan vs Australia ODI schedule