Star Babar Azam, the batsman for Pakistan, was benched for the second and third Test matches against England after a string of poor showings. The selection committee has called him back for the forthcoming away series against Australia, which is scheduled to start on November 4 at Melbourne Cricket Ground. His future in white-ball cricket was also in doubt. The former skipper has, surprisingly, been sidelined for the Zimbabwe series.
It was anticipated that the team management would support the same group of cricket players before to the Champions Trophy, but the selectors chose to switch up the roster and offer players who had performed well in the domestic circuit more chances. The PCB addressed the matter by issuing a statement outlining their Champions Trophy approach.
“This strategy aligns with the team’s strategy for the ICC Champions Trophy and beyond, and it adheres to the selectors’ rotation policy by giving domestic performers opportunities,” the PCB release continued.
Neither the Australia series nor the Zimbabwe series have included Fakhar Zaman. He recently criticised the team management for removing Babar from the Test squad and spoke out in favour of Babar. In addition, the PCB gave him a show-cause notice after that.
In the meantime, Babar’s performance in the series against Australia will be eagerly watched. By benching him during the Test series against England, the PCB may have conveyed the message that no position is certain and that players must perform well to guarantee their place in the team. In his five ODI appearances in Australia thus far, Babar has amassed 282 runs at an average of 56.40.
Also Read: Reports: Pakistan set to drop Fakhar Zaman for white-ball tour to Australia
However, Pakistan has not yet named a captain for its white-ball team. Following Babar’s resignation, Mohammad Rizwan appeared to be the front-runner, but surprisingly, the team administration has not yet made a decision, and the squads have been revealed without a captain.
Pakistan squad for Australia ODIs
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
Pakistan squad for Australia T20Is
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
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