Pakistan Squad vs Australia ODI Series Announced: Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi Return

Pakistan have announced a 16-member squad for the ODI series against Australia, with Shaheen Shah Afridi leading the side and several senior stars returning to the setup.

Pakistan have unveiled a 16-player squad for the upcoming three-match ODI series against Australia, set to be played between May 30 and June 4 in Rawalpindi and Lahore.

Shaheen Shah Afridi will continue to captain the national side, while Salman Ali Agha has been appointed vice-captain for the series. The squad includes several experienced campaigners who missed the Bangladesh ODI series earlier this year.

Babar Azam, Haris Rauf, Naseem Shah, Shadab Khan and Sufyan Moqim have all returned to the ODI setup after being unavailable during the March tour against Bangladesh.

Pakistan squad- Shaheen Shah Afridi (c), Salman Ali Agha, Abdul Samad, Abrar Ahmed, Ahmed Daniyal, Arafat Minhas, Babar Azam, Haris Rauf, Maaz Sadaqat, Ghazi Ghori, Naseem Shah, Rohail Nazir, Sahibzada Farhan, Shadab Khan, Shamyl Hussain and Sufyan Moqim

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Three Uncapped Players Included In Squad

Pakistan have also rewarded several emerging players with opportunities in the ODI squad. Ahmed Daniyal, Arafat Minhas and Rohail Nazir are the three uncapped cricketers named in the team and could make their international ODI debuts during the Australia series.

At the same time, Salman Ali Agha, Abdul Samad, Abrar Ahmed, Maaz Sadaqat, Muhammad Ghazi Ghori, Sahibzada Farhan and Shamyl Hussain managed to retain their places after featuring in the Bangladesh series.

Muhammad Ghazi Ghori and Rohail Nazir have been picked as wicketkeeper-batters after Usman Khan was ruled unavailable because of illness.

Fakhar Zaman, Saim Ayub Continue Recovery

Pakistan will continue without Fakhar Zaman and Saim Ayub, with both players still recovering from injuries and not yet ready for selection.

The ODI series will also mark Australia’s first bilateral ODI visit to Pakistan since 2022, when the hosts secured a 2-1 series win. Earlier this year, Pakistan had also registered a dominant 3-0 T20I series sweep over Australia in Lahore.

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With the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup scheduled for next year, the upcoming ODI series is expected to serve as a crucial preparation phase for both teams as they look to finalise their combinations in the 50-over format.