Babar Azam, Rizwan and Shaheen Afridi Out of Pakistan Team, New Captain Announced

Pakistan have named a new-look squad for the upcoming T20I series against Bangladesh, with several big names missing from the 15-member group. The three matches will be played on July 20, 22, and 24 at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka.

Fans will not see star batter Babar Azam, wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan, or pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi in this series. All three have been rested.

Haris Rauf is also out after suffering a hamstring injury during the 2025 Major League Cricket (MLC) season in the United States. Shadab Khan continues to recover from shoulder surgery and is expected to be out for around three months.

Other key bowlers like Naseem Shah and Mohammad Wasim Jr. are still recovering from previous injuries.

New Faces and Comebacks

Experienced all-rounder Mohammad Nawaz returns after being out of action since January 2024. Spinner Sufiyan Muqeem also makes a comeback after strong domestic performances.

Fast bowler Salman Mirza gets his first-ever call-up, while Mohammad Abbas Afridi returns after recovering from injury. Mohammad Haris, who impressed against Bangladesh in the last T20I series, keeps his place and is likely to bat at No. 3.

Agha Salman to Lead the Side

Agha Salman will captain this squad, though no vice-captain has been named. With a mix of fresh faces and returning players, Pakistan seem to be using the series to test their bench strength.

Pakistan had beaten Bangladesh 3-0 in their last T20I meeting earlier this year. This time, the action shifts to Dhaka. Bangladesh are currently involved in an ODI series against Sri Lanka and will return home for this series later this month.

Pakistan Squad vs Bangladesh:

Salman Ali Agha (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Ahmed Daniyal, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Hassan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Haris (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Mirza, Sufiyan Muqeem