Pakistan’s selectors, in consultation with white-ball head coach Mike Hesson and T20I captain Salman Agha, have opted to leave out senior players Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan and Shaheen Shah Afridi from the Twenty20 squads for the upcoming tours of Bangladesh and the West Indies, sources told Telecom Asia Sport (www.telecomasia.net).
Rizwan led the side during Pakistan’s 2-0 series loss to South Africa, in which Babar also featured. Since then, both players have been dropped from the New Zealand tour and the home series against Bangladesh.
Despite Hesson and Salman insisting the door remains open for the two former openers, the selection committee wants to move beyond Babar and Rizwan. Their low strike rates and tendency to bat deep have been identified as key issues in recent defeats.
“Despite Hesson and Salman insisting the door remains open for the two former openers, the selection committee wants to move beyond Babar and Rizwan. Their low strike rates and tendency to bat deep have been identified as key issues in recent defeats,” sources revealed.
The selection committee, which includes former captain Sarfaraz Ahmed and ex-pacer Sikander Bakht as observers, has finalised squads for the three-match T20I series in Bangladesh and the West Indies without any of the three senior players.
Pakistan are scheduled to play Bangladesh on 20, 22 and 24 July before travelling to Florida for a five-match T20I series against the West Indies.
Sources said that while Hesson was keen to retain Babar and Rizwan for the Bangladesh series, Aaqib Javed vetoed the idea, arguing that the home series offered a good opportunity to test younger talent.
Shaheen, who was part of the New Zealand tour, struggled with form—taking just two wickets in four matches at an economy rate of 10.23 — and was dropped for the final game. Sources added that his omission also stemmed from concerns over his attitude and lack of cooperation, as noted in internal reports.
Hesson reportedly met Babar, Rizwan and Shaheen during training sessions in Lahore to outline his strategy and share plans regarding their future roles in the team.
Additionally, sources claim that skipper Salman Agha prefers to continue investing in younger players as part of a long-term vision to build bench strength.
Pakistan are also set to play T20I series against Afghanistan, Ireland, South Africa, Sri Lanka and Australia, in what is shaping up to be a crucial run of matches leading up to the 2026 T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka.
