PCB announces squads for Australia, Zimbabwe tours; Babar, Shaheen, Naseem return

LAHORE, Oct 27 :The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Sunday announced 15-member squads for the Australia and Zimbabwe white-ball tours with eight uncapped players including Aamir Jamal, Arafat Minhas, Faisal Akram, Haseebullah, Muhammad Irfan Khan Niazi, Saim Ayub, Jahandad Khan and Salman Ali Agha for the ODIs and T20Is.
Salman Ali Agha and Jahandad Khan are all set to make T20I debut while Saim Ayub, Aamir Jamal, Arafat Minhas, Faisal Akram, Haseebullah, Muhammad Irfan Khan Niazi will be making their maiden ODI appearances for the national side.

Babar Azam, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naeem Shah have all been picked for the Australia ODIs and IT20s series while they will be rested during the Zimbabwe white-ball tour. Similarly, Mohammad Rizwan will be part of the Australia and Zimbabwe tours but is rested for the Zimbabwe T20Is.
“Babar Azam, Naseem Shah and Shaheen Shah Afridi, who were given a break from the last two Tests against England, return for the Australia matches but will be rested for the Zimbabwe tour,” PCB press release added.
The PCB claims that the domestic performances have been preferred while making selections for the Zimbabwe tours, adding that the approach follows the selectors’ rotation policy and provides opportunities to domestic performers, aligning with the team’s strategy for the ICC Champions Trophy and beyond.

Wicket-keeper batsman Haseebullah, fast-bowler Haris Rauf, all-rounders Muhammad Irfan Khan Niazi and Salman Ali Agha are the four players who will be part of the squads throughout the Australia and Zimbabwe tours.
Kamran Ghulam, Omair Bin Yousuf and Sufyan Moqim make their national side debut, having previously played limited-overs internationals. Kamran served as a concussion substitute for Haris Sohail against New Zealand in an ODI in January 2023, while Omair and Sufyan debuted in the T20I format against Hong Kong during the Asian Games men’s cricket competition.
Fast bowler Mohammad Hasnain has been rewarded for his player of the Champions One-Day Cup performance last month and returns to the ODI side, having last represented Pakistan in an ODI against New Zealand in January 2023.
Apart from Babar, Naseem, Rizwan, Salman, and Shaheen, four other players have been selected in both the ODI and T20I squads for Australia including Arafat Minhas, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah and Muhammad Irfan Khan.
Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Faisal Akram, Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Hasnain, and Saim Ayub are selected solely for the ODIs and will be replaced by Jahandad Khan, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Omair Bin Yousuf, Sahibzada Farhan, Sufyan Moqim, and Usman Khan for the T20Is.
Interestingly, wicket-keeper batsman Muhammad Haris, who led the Pakistan Shaheens at the ACC Emerging Asia Cup 2024, has been left out of the tours while Fakhar Zaman, who has not been offered the PCB men’s central contract, has also not been picked.
Other conspicuous happening is Saim Ayub’s absence from the T20I squads for Australia and Zimbabwe although he has been selected for the ODI squads for Zimbabwe and Australia.

ODI SQUAD for Australia: Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Arafat Minhas, Babar Azam, Faisal Akram, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah (WK), Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Rizwan (WK), Muhammad Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Shaheen Shah Afridi
T20I SQUAD for Australia: Arafat Minhas, Babar Azam, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah, Jahandad Khan, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Rizwan (WK), Muhammad Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Omair Bin Yousuf, Sahibzada Farhan, Salman Ali Agha, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufyan Moqim, Usman Khan
ODI SQUAD for Zimbabwe: Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Ahmed Daniyal, Faisal Akram, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah (WK), Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Rizwan (WK), Muhammad Irfan Khan, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Shahnawaz Dahani and Tayyab Tahir
T20I SQUAD for Zimbabwe: Ahmed Daniyal, Arafat Minhas, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah (WK), Jahandad Khan, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Hasnain, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Omair bin Yousuf, Qasim Akram, Sahibzada Farhan, Salman Ali Agha, Sufyan Moqim, Tayyab Tahir and Usman Khan
Ahmed Daniyal, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah, Mohammad Hasnain, Muhammad Irfan Khan and Tayyab Tahir are the other players apart from Salman Ali Agha who have been selected for both the formats for the Zimbabwe tour.
Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Faisal Akram, Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Rizwan, Saim Ayub and Shahnawaz Dahani have been picked in the ODI side and will be replaced by Arafat Minhas, Jahandad Khan, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Omair Bin Yousuf, Qasim Akram, Sahibzada Farhan, Mohammad Abbas Afridi and Usman Khan for the shortest format of the game.
The national side will play three ODIs and three T20Is each during Australia and Zimbabwe tours. The Australia tour will run from 4-18 November, while the matches in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, will be played from 24 November to 5 December.
Schedule of Pakistan’s white-ball matches against Australia and Zimbabwe:
4 November: ODI, MCG, Melbourne
8 November: ODI, Adelaide Oval, Adelaide
10 November: ODI, Perth Stadium, Perth
14 November: T20I, The Gabba, Brisbane
16 November: T20I, SCG, Sydney
18 November: T20I, Bellerive Oval, Hobart
24 November – ODI, Bulawayo
26 November – ODI, Bulawayo
28 November – ODI, Bulawayo
1 December – T20I, Bulawayo
3 December – T20I, Bulawayo
5 December – T20I, Bulawayo