Skipper Shaheen addresses key players’ exclusion from Pakistan ODI squad
MIRPUR: Pakistan captain Shaheen Shah Afridi on Tuesday clarified that no player was “dropped” from the squad for the upcoming three-match away ODI series against Bangladesh.
The Green Shirts are set to feature in their first international assignment following the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 heartbreak, when they tour Bangladesh for an ODI series, with all three of its matches scheduled to be played at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur on March 11, 13 and 15, respectively.
Although the Green Shirts head into the assignment on the back of a 3-0 whitewash over Sri Lanka at home in November last year, they made substantial changes to their squad as star batter Babar Azam, along with Fakhar Zaman, Haseebullah, Mohammad Nawaz, Naseem Shah and Saim Ayub were left out.
They were replaced by six uncapped players – Abdul Samad, Maaz Sadaqat, Muhammad Ghazi Ghori, Saad Masood, Sahibzada Farhan and Shamyl Hussain.
The exclusion of established players, despite their recent performances in the format, prompted former cricketers and fans alike to question the selection criteria, with some suspecting it was a result of ‘format mixing’.
Meanwhile, Pakistan captain Shaheen eventually put speculation to rest during the pre-series press conference by clarifying that no one had been dropped from the series, instead opting to give youngsters an opportunity to showcase their potential as the former champions begin their preparations for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2027.
“Look, no one dropped for this series; we just want to give an opportunity to our youngsters, and they also are our future. So, we want to give an opportunity against Bangladesh, and I think when the time comes, and they also know their role and what’s coming in the future for the World Cup,” Shaheen told reporters.
“We just need to ready our team for the World Cup, and that’s just the opportunity for the youngsters to go and show their skills,” he added.
Shaheen further acknowledged Bangladesh as a “good side” especially in home conditions, citing their recent victory over West Indies, but insisted that his team played equally good cricket in their previous two assignments against South Africa and Sri Lanka.
“Of course, any team in home conditions, they’re the best team, […] like Bangladesh had a good side and they played very good cricket in home conditions, they beat West Indies,” Shaheen stated. “So, I think as a team we prepare, and we played the last two ODIs against South Africa in Sri Lanka, so we played very good cricket, so we just continue that.” Web Desk
