PCB announces Pakistan squad for Bangladesh T20Is

LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Wednesday announced a 16-member squad for the upcoming three-match T20I series against Bangladesh, set to commence later this month.

The squad has been selected based on players’ performances in the ongoing Pakistan Super League (PSL) 10, which is scheduled to conclude on May 25.

This series will mark the first official assignment for newly appointed head coach Mike Hesson.

All three T20Is will be held at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, with the official schedule to be announced soon.

The squad features several significant changes, including the return of pacer Hasan Ali, who last represented Pakistan in a T20I against Ireland in 2024.

Fakhar Zaman and Saim Ayub have also made comebacks after recovering from injuries that ruled them out of major events such as the Champions Trophy 2025 and New Zealand’s white-ball tour.

However, several notable players have been omitted, including Abdul Samad, Jahandad Khan, Abbas Afridi and star pacer Shaheen Afridi.

The squad also excludes Mohammad Ali, Omair Bin Yousuf, Sufiyan Muqeem and Usman Khan, along with seasoned batters Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan.

Originally, Bangladesh was scheduled to arrive in Pakistan on May 21 in two groups for a five-match T20I series, with the opening game planned for May 25 in Faisalabad.

However, due to logistical challenges and evolving security considerations, the tour has been shortened to a three-match series.

The decision was finalised after a productive meeting between PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi and Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) officials, including BCB Chairman Nazmul Abedeen and President Farooq Ahmed.

Following constructive discussions, both boards agreed to proceed with the revised tour, setting aside earlier concerns.

Pakistan squad for Bangladesh T20Is: Salman Ali Agha (captain), Shadab Khan (vice-captain), Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Hassan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Haris (wicket-keeper), Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan (wicket-keeper) and Saim Ayub.