Pakistan Announces 16-Member ODI Squad for Australia Series; Shaheen Afridi to Lead

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Cricket Board on Friday announced a 16-member squad for the three-match ODI series against Australia. The series will run from May 30 to June 4 in Rawalpindi and Lahore.

New Faces Added to Strengthen Squad

The selectors included three uncapped players in the squad. These players are Ahmed Daniyal, Arafat Minhas, and Rohail Nazir. They have not yet played ODI cricket for Pakistan. However, the selectors picked them based on recent performances and potential.

Shaheen Afridi Continues as Captain

Fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi will continue to lead the ODI side. In addition, the management has retained continuity in leadership for stability.

Meanwhile, senior batter Babar Azam has returned to the squad. Alongside him, Naseem Shah, Shadab Khan, and Sufyan Moqim also make a comeback after missing the Bangladesh series.

Wicketkeeping Slots Finalised

The selectors picked two wicketkeeper-batters for the series. Muhammad Ghazi Ghori and Rohail Nazir will share keeping duties. However, Usman Khan misses out due to illness, as the medical panel advised rest and recovery.

Injured Players Under Rehabilitation

Fakhar Zaman and Saim Ayub did not feature in the squad. Both players continue rehabilitation under the PCB medical panel. As a result, they remain unavailable for selection.

Training Schedule Confirmed

The squad will assemble in Islamabad on Friday night. Subsequently, training sessions will begin on Saturday under the coaching staff.

In addition, the Australian team will arrive in Islamabad on Saturday. Both teams will train at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, and the schedule for practice sessions will be announced later.

Full Squad

Shaheen Shah Afridi (captain), Salman Ali Agha (vice-captain), Abdul Samad, Abrar Ahmed, Ahmed Daniyal, Arafat Minhas, Babar Azam, Haris Rauf, Maaz Sadaqat, Muhammad Ghazi Ghori (wk), Naseem Shah, Rohail Nazir (wk), Sahibzada Farhan, Shadab Khan, Shamyl Hussain, Sufyan Moqim.