Babar Azam dropped from Pakistan’s ODI squad against Bangladesh

Pakistan have dropped Babar Azam from the upcoming three-match ODI series against Bangladesh, beginning March 11. Alongside Babar, opening batters Saim Ayub and Fakhar Zaman also did not make it to the 15-man squad, which is set to leave for Bangladesh on March 8.

Fakhar injured, Babar, Saim face the axe

While Fakhar’s exclusion was on the cards as he continues to recover from a hamstring injury sustained during the T20 World Cup, the omission of both Babar and Saim comes as a surprise. The two players had a dismal T20 World Cup; however, their returns in ODIs remain decent.

Babar, who averages 53.72 in the format, was the highest run-getter in Pakistan’s recent ODI series against Sri Lanka in November, where he scored his first century since 2023.

Youngsters included

Pakistan have named a handful of youngsters in the squad, confirming earlier reports that the side is looking to build towards the ODI World Cup next year. The contingent includes Faisal Akram, Maaz Sadaqat, Mohammad Ghazi Ghori, Saad Masood, and Shamyl Hussain.

Additionally, Mohammad Rizwan and Haris Rauf, who were dropped from the T20 World Cup squad, are also part of the Bangladesh-bound team.

Pakistan’s Squad for Bangladesh ODI Tour:

Shaheen Shah Afridi (captain), Abdul Samad, Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Faisal Akram, Haris Rauf, Hussain Talat, Maaz Sadaqat, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Muhammad Ghazi Ghori (wk), Saad Masood, Sahibzada Farhan, Salman Ali Agha and Shamyl Hussain

Series Schedule:

8 March: Pakistan arrival in Dhaka
10 March: Practice session
11 March: First ODI – Shere Bangla National Stadium, Dhaka
13 March: Second ODI – Shere Bangla National Stadium, Dhaka
15 March: Third ODI – Shere Bangla National Stadium, Dhaka

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