Abbas Afridi replaces Mohammad Wasim Jr in Pakistan T20I squad
In a statement released on Tuesday (May 27), the PCB said, “Fast bowler Mohammad Abbas Afridi has replaced Mohammad Wasim Jnr in Pakistan's T20I squad for the three-match T20I series against Bangladesh. Wasim Jnr picked up a side strain during the HBL PSL and was not able to recover in time.
“Abbas has represented Pakistan in 20 T20Is having snapped 33 wickets. He was also the joint-second leading wicket-taker in the HBL PSL X with 17 scalps.”
Afridi's non-selection in the initial squad, which was announced on May 21, had raised a few eyebrows – since the announcement explicitly mentioned that, “The squad has been selected based on players’ performances in the ongoing HBL PSL X.”
At the time, Afridi was the PSL's leading wicket-taker, with 17 wickets in 10 matches. He went wicketless in Karachi Kings' only subsequent game to finish joint-second on the wicket-takers' chart alongside Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Haris Rauf and Hassan Ali. Shaheen Afridi finished on top with 19, as he led Lahore Qalandars to the title.
Also read: No Babar, Rizwan, Shaheen: Pakistan's predicted XI for the Bangladesh T20Is
Wasim, meanwhile, took 10 wickets in eight matches in the tournament, and has not played for Pakistan in T20I cricket since January 2024. Afridi was part of Pakistan's squad for their most recent series – the tour of New Zealand in March 2025.
When will the PAK v BAN T20I series begin?
This squad change comes on the eve of the series, with the first game set to get underway on May 28. The next two will be on May 30 and June 1, with all three matches taking place at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. This series marks the first time that new head coach Mike Hesson will take charge of the team.
Find out how to watch the series live here.
PAK v BAN T20I series: Full squad lists
Pakistan squad: Salman Agha (c), Shadab Khan (vc), Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Faheem Ashraf, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Haris (wk), Hasan Nawaz, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Abrar Ahmed, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Mohammad Wasim (withdrawn), Naseem Shah, Abbas Afridi.
Bangladesh squad: Litton Das (c & wk), Mahedi Hasan (vc), Najmul Hossain Shanto, Towhid Hridoy, Mustafizur Rahman, Jaker Ali (wk), Parvez Hossain Emon (wk), Tanzid Hasan, Shamim Hossain, Soumya Sarkar, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Rishad Hossain, Hasan Mahmud, Shoriful Islam, Tanvir Islam, Nahid Rana (withdrawn).
Find all the injury news and latest updates here.
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