Pakistan have named a 16-player squad for the upcoming ODI series against Australia.
Pakistan drop Mohammad Rizwan from ODI squad
The major exclusion is that of wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan, who made 58 runs in their last ODI series, against Bangladesh in March. Following that, Rizwan also endured a difficult PSL season, striking at under 120 while leading Rawalpindiz to just one win in 10 matches. However, he finished as Pakistan's highest run-scorer in the recently-concluded Test series against Bangladesh, which Pakistan lost 2-0.
Also read: Pakistan’s Test slide is being led by their senior players' underperformance
Rizwan is not the only player from the Bangladesh series to miss out. Faheem Ashraf, Hussain Talat, Saad Masood, Faisal Akram and Mohammad Wasim Jnr have all also made way. Senior players Babar Azam and Naseem Shah, who missed that series, are back in the setup. There is also a recall for all-rounder Shadab Khan after a stellar PSL season; his last ODI came almost three years ago, at the 2023 World Cup.
Left-arm wrist-spinner Sufyan Moqim was the PSL's top wicket-taker, and makes the cut this time around. Three uncapped players have also made it to the side – wicketkeeper Rohail Nazir, fast bowler Ahmed Daniyal and all-rounder Arafat Minhas. All three, however, have played T20Is.
The squad announcement also noted that keepers Ghazi Ghori and Nazir were named after Usman Khan was not considered for selection due to illness. Batters Fakhar Zaman and Saim Ayub had also been ruled out a few days ago through injuries and are currently continuing their rehabilitation programs.
Pakistan squad for Australia ODIs, full list
Batters: Salman Ali Agha (vc), Abdul Samad, Babar Azam, Sahibzada Farhan, Shamyl Hussain.
Wicketkeepers: Ghazi Ghori, Rohail Nazir.
All-rounders: Arafat Minhas, Maaz Sadaqat, Shadab Khan.
Bowlers: Shaheen Shah Afridi (c), Abrar Ahmed, Ahmed Daniyal, Haris Rauf, Naseem Shah, Sufyan Moqim.
Pakistan ODI squad: Changes from Bangladesh series
Ins: Babar Azam, Rohail Nazir, Arafat Minhas, Shadab Khan, Ahmed Daniyal, Naseem Shah, Sufyan Moqim.
Outs: Mohammad Rizwan, Faheem Ashraf, Hussain Talat, Saad Masood, Faisal Akram, Mohammad Wasim Jnr.
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