Khushdil Shah reposts tweet questioning Pakistan squad selection for Australia ODIs

KARACHI: Pakistan all-rounder Khushdil Shah on Friday reposted a tweet questioning the selection criteria of the recently announced squad for the ODI series against Australia, scheduled to run from May 30 to June 4.

The squad, led by left-arm pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi, marked substantial changes as the experienced trio of Babar Azam, Shadab Khan and Naseem Shah made their return to the 50-over fold after missing the away series against Bangladesh.

The Pakistan squad also featured three uncapped players, Ahmed Daniyal, Arafat Minhas and Rohail Nazir.

Rohail will be accompanied by fellow wicketkeeper batter Muhammad Ghazi Ghori in the 16-member contingent, while Usman Khan was not considered for selection due to illness.

One of the most striking calls was the omission of former captain Mohammad Rizwan, who mustered 58 runs in the three-match series against Bangladesh at a dismal average of 19.33.

Meanwhile, Khushdil, whose most recent appearance for Pakistan came against the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in the group-stage match of the ACC Men's T20 Asia Cup 2025, sparked a controversy by sharing a tweet which specifically questioned the selection of Shadab Khan and the exclusion of Rizwan.

"What the hell is wrong with the PCB? How on earth is Shadab still considered relevant in ODIs in 2026? This is a joke with Pakistan fans," the tweet reposted by Khushdil read.

"They are really mocking us now. Was this not a series to test a young pacer like Ali Raza or Ubaid Shah?

"And are we convinced that the Rizwan chapter is closed in ODIs? So his replacements, Rohail and Ghouri, would perfectly justify his replacement? Where is Saad Masood? You selected him in the previous series and now dropped him? Were you wrong then, or are you wrong now?"