Here's when PCB will announce Pakistan squad for Bangladesh tour

LAHORE: Director of High-Performance Aaqib Javed has confirmed that the Pakistan squad for the upcoming T20I series against Bangladesh — scheduled to begin on July 20 at the Shere-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium — will be announced within the next couple of days.

Speaking at a press conference following the conclusion of the Skills Development Camp at the National Cricket Academy (NCA), Javed stated, “The national team will be announced in a day or two." 

"A lot of work has already been done on team selection, and the announcement will be made soon,” he added.

The former pacer also cleared the air regarding the absence of right-arm fast bowler Haris Rauf from the upcoming tours of Bangladesh and West Indies, as he is currently representing the San Francisco Unicorns in the ongoing Major League Cricket (MLC) 2025.

"There are two upcoming series — one against Bangladesh and the other against West Indies. The T20Is will be held in the USA, followed by ODIs in the Caribbean. These series present the right opportunity to test our bench strength, and you will likely see Haris Rauf in action," he stated.

Meanwhile, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is awaiting a response from Cricket West Indies (CWI) on a proposal to convert the scheduled One Day Internationals (ODIs) into T20 Internationals (T20Is) during the tour.

The 52-year-old also revealed that the camp will start on 8th July, and they are preparing for both ODI and T20I formats, ready to proceed based on whichever decision is finalised regarding the tour.

"Our preparations are complete. The camp, starting from July 8 in Karachi, includes both ODI and T20I players. We are ready for both scenarios — whether the focus is on ODIs or T20Is," he said.

In addition to the national side’s preparations, the High-Performance setup will resume camps after the Ashura break to train players traveling to Darwin for a T20 tournament and those selected for the upcoming Test series against South Africa.

"We’re working in parallel with the Shaheens and the red-ball squad. We are also preparing pitches that mimic local conditions to help the Test players adjust ahead of the home series against South Africa," Javed concluded.