Babar, Rizwan, Shaheen Left Out of Pakistan’s T20 Plans for WI, Bangladesh Tours.
Pakistan’s selectors have decided to exclude senior players Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, and Shaheen Shah Afridi from the upcoming T20 series against the West Indies and Bangladesh, signaling a shift in focus toward building a younger squad ahead of next year’s ICC T20 World Cup.
The selection panel—comprising Aaqib Javed, Aleem Dar, Azhar Ali, and Asad Shafiq—along with head coach Mike Hesson, is expected to announce the squad next week. The T20 and ODI series in the Caribbean will be played in late July, followed by a T20 tour of Bangladesh in August. There are ongoing discussions to expand the Bangladesh leg from three to five matches.
Sources close to the team confirmed that Babar, Rizwan, and Shaheen have been informed of the decision and advised to focus on the ICC World Test Championship and upcoming ODI assignments. Pakistan is also set to host Afghanistan for a T20 series in late August as part of preparations for the Asia Cup (tentatively scheduled for September) and the 2026 T20 World Cup.
A source within the selection committee said the move is intended to provide consistent opportunities to emerging players and to evaluate bench strength ahead of major tournaments.
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