Babar, Shahdab, Naseem returns to Pakistan squad
Senior batter Babar Azam, all-rounder Shahdab Khan and pacer Naseem Shah on Friday returned to Pakistan’s ODI squad for the upcoming three-match series against Australia at home.
The Pakistani selectors have named a 16-member squad, which includes two wicket-keepers for the home series, which begins on May 30 in Rawalpindi, with the remaining two games to be played in Lahore on June 2 and 4. Left-arm fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi will continue to lead the ODI squad.
The selectors have dropped six players from the 15-member squad that went to Bangladesh in March and lost the series 1-2.
Mohammad Rizwan, Faheem Ashraf, Faisal Akram, Saad Masood, Mohammad Wasim junior and Hussain Talat have been dropped from the squad that went to Bangladesh, while Babar, Shadab and Naseem, who were not in that team, have been recalled. Openers Fakhar Zaman and Saim Ayub were unavailable for selection as they are nursing injuries.
The selectors have also picked up two uncapped players in the revamped side, in pacer Ahmed Daniyal and all-rounder Arafat Minhas.
Pakistan were beaten 0-2 in an away Test series by Bangladesh earlier this week.
Pakistan squad: Shaheen Shah Afridi (c), Salman Ali Agha (vc), Abdul Samad, Abrar Ahmed, Ahmed Daniyal, Arafat Minhas, Babar Azam, Haris Rauf Maaq Sadaqat, Ghazi Ghori, Naseem Shah, Sohail Nazir, Sahabzada Farhan, Shadab Khan, Shamyl Hussain, Sufiyan Muqeem.
