Key Points

Pakistan has recalled Shaheen Afridi for the T20Is against West Indies but left out former captain Babar Azam. The selectors are backing a younger core led by Agha Salman in the shortest format. Mohammad Rizwan will captain the ODI side, with Afridi and Naseem Shah also featuring. The tour includes three T20Is in Florida and three ODIs in Trinidad.

Key Points: Shaheen Afridi Returns as Babar Azam Misses Pakistan T20Is for West Indies Tour

  • Shaheen Afridi returns to T20Is after missing Bangladesh series
  • Babar Azam excluded from T20Is but included in ODI squad
  • Mohammad Rizwan leads ODI side with Agha Salman as deputy
  • Youngsters Saim Ayub and Sahibzada Farhan retained in T20I squad
2 min read

Babar Azam left out of T20Is as Shaheen Afridi returns for Pakistan's West Indies tour

Pakistan recalls Shaheen Afridi for T20Is but keeps Babar Azam out as selectors back younger players for West Indies white-ball series.

Babar Azam left out of T20Is as Shaheen Afridi returns for Pakistan's West Indies tour
"Afridi’s return strengthens our pace attack, while we continue to invest in emerging talent – PCB Chief Selector"

Lahore, July 25

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced squads for the upcoming white-ball tour of the West Indies, with two major headlines - the return of pace spearhead Shaheen Shah Afridi to the T20I setup and the continued absence of former captain Babar Azam from the shortest format.

Afridi, who missed the recent Bangladesh series, has been recalled to bolster Pakistan’s pace attack for the three-match T20I series in Florida. The left-arm speedster joins fellow pacers Haris Rauf and Hasan Ali in a strong bowling lineup. Meanwhile, Babar Azam, despite being named in the ODI squad, remains out of favour for T20Is as the selectors continue to back a younger core led by Agha Salman.

In the ODI setup, Mohammad Rizwan will take over the captaincy, with Agha Salman serving as vice-captain. Afridi, Naseem Shah, and Abdullah Shafique also feature in the 50-over squad for the three-match series in Trinidad while experienced batter Fakhar Zaman retains his place across formats.

Notably, Salman Mirza and Ahmed Daniyal, who impressed during the Bangladesh series, have been left out of the T20I squad. Rising stars Saim Ayub, Hasan Nawaz, and Sahibzada Farhan, alongside seasoned all-rounder Mohammad Nawaz, add depth to the T20I batting order.

The tour will feature six white-ball matches—three T20Is in Florida, followed by three ODIs in Trinidad.

Pakistan's T20I squad vs West Indies:

Salman Ali Agha (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Hasan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Haris (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Sahibzada Farhan (wk), Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufyan Moqim.

Pakistan's ODI squad vs West Indies:

Mohammad Rizwan (captain), Salman Ali Agha (vice-captain), Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Hasan Ali, Hasan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Mohammad Haris (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufyan Moqim.

- IANS

Share this article:

Reader Comments

S
Sarah B
As a cricket fan from Delhi, I think this is good for Pakistan cricket. They need to build for the future and Babar's T20 strike rate was becoming an issue. Excited to see Shaheen back though - that bowling attack looks lethal!
A
Arjun K
PCB management is so unstable yaar! First they make Babar captain, then remove him, now drop him from T20Is. No wonder Pakistan cricket struggles with consistency. At least Shaheen's return is good news for cricket lovers everywhere.
P
Priya S
Interesting to see Rizwan as ODI captain while Babar is still in the team. Could create dressing room tensions no? But West Indies tour should be exciting - their batting vs Pakistan's bowling will be 🔥
M
Michael C
Respectfully disagree with some comments here. As an analyst, Babar's T20 numbers have declined sharply since 2022. At 29, if he can focus on Tests and ODIs where he excels, it might extend his career. Smart move by selectors.
K
Kavya N
Excited to see Saim Ayub and Sahibzada Farhan get more chances! Pakistan needs fresh blood in T20s. Babar can focus on ODIs where his classical batting is more valuable. Hope this transition works out for them 🤞

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.

Leave a Comment

Minimum 50 characters 0/50