BAN vs PAK: Why Was Babar Azam Dropped From Pakistan ODI Squad? Captain Shaheen Afridi Explains

Bangladesh and Pakistan will face each other in a three-match ODI series taking place at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka. The two nations face challenging situations of their own. While the Bangla Tigers have a qualification to the ODI World Cup 2027 at stake, the Men in Green once again find themselves in a rebuilding phase. 

Shaheen Afridi, leading the team, faced a barrage of questions at the press conference about his team. However, the one Pakistani player who remains among the headlines is Babar Azam. The former skipper has not been picked in the ODI squad following a series of poor performances in recent games. Shaheen, in the pre-series press conference, explained the reason behind not picking Babar.

Was Babar Azam dropped from the ODI series?

Babar Azam has long been the face of Pakistan cricket. However, a series of poor performances in all three formats of the game has resulted in him not being named in the Pakistani ODI squad. 

However, Shaheen Afridi cleared the air regarding Babar’s absence. The Pakistani skipper told the press that Azam has not been dropped from the squad. “Look, no one is dropped for this series. We just want to give opportunities to our youngsters because they are our future,” Afridi said.

Talking about the youngsters who were picked in place of Babar, Pakistan’s skipper said, “We wanted to give them the opportunity against Bangladesh. When the time comes they will know their roles and what is coming in the future. We just need to prepare our team for the World Cup, and this is a good opportunity for the youngsters to go out and show their skills.”

Shaheen Afridi confirms three debutants

Sahibzada Farhan, who was arguably Pakistan’s sole shining light at the T20 World Cup 2026 will be making his ODI debut for the Men in Green. While confirming three debuts, Shaheen said, “Yeah, there will be like three debuts of course. Sahibzada Farhan will be there. He’s a top performer in T20s and in one-day and also in List A cricket for Pakistan. There will be Maaz Sadaqat, who will open, and Shamyl Hussain will bat at one down. So there will be three debutants and I hope they will play their own game and show their skills. As a team we are very excited to see them play for Pakistan — not just for this series but for the future as well.”

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