Former Pakistan cricketer questions Abbas Afridi’s exclusion from Bangladesh T20Is
Akmal emphasised long-term planning and talent development before the T20 World Cup 2026
Former Pakistan cricketer Kamran Akmal has voiced concerns over the exclusion of promising pacer Abbas Afridi from the national squad for the upcoming T20I series against Bangladesh.
In a recent interview, Akmal termed Afridi's omission as "injustice," emphasising the pacer's consistent performances both in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) and on the international stage.
"I think he has 33 wickets from 20 games in T20 cricket. I think it is an injustice to him," Akmal said.
“You could rest Haris Rauf and Naseem Shah to give Abbas Afridi, Khurram Shehzad and Sufiyan Muqeem a chance,” he added.
The former wicketkeeper-batter stressed the need for long-term planning and talent development ahead of the T20 World Cup. He also questioned the imbalance in the current squad composition.
“The current squad has nine batters, including five openers. There is no planning for the future or strategy to develop new talent,” he stated.
Akmal also criticised the sweeping changes made to the squad that featured in the recent T20I series against New Zealand.
“The question is whether you should have fielded a strong side in that [New Zealand] series or this [Bangladesh] series. I think there is no clarity on that,” he concluded.
It is pertinent to mention that the right-arm pacer is in exceptional form for Karachi Kings in the ongoing Pakistan Super League (PSL) 10 and is currently the leading wicket-taker in the tournament, with 17 wickets in 10 matches at an average of 20.64 and an economy rate of 10.02.
The 24-year-old has played 20 T20I matches for Pakistan and has picked up 33 wickets at an average of 15.48 and an economy rate of 8.58.
Meanwhile, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Wednesday unveiled both the squad and a revised schedule for the T20I series against Bangladesh.
The series, originally planned as a five-match contest, was scaled down to three games due to logistical challenges.
All matches will be played at Lahore’s iconic Gaddafi Stadium from May 28 to June 1, with 8:00 PM (local time) start times.
Bangladesh is scheduled to arrive in Lahore on May 25, with training sessions on May 26 and 27.
The series also marks the debut assignment for newly appointed head coach Mike Hesson, adding further significance to the three-match contest.
Pakistan squad for Bangladesh T20I series:
Agha Salman (c), Shadab Khan (vc), Fakhar Zaman, Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Hasan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Irfan, Mohammad Haris (wk), Mohammad Wasim Jr, Saim Ayub, Sahibzada Farhan (wk), and Naseem Shah.
Pakistan-Bangladesh T20I series schedule:
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