Pakistan’s performances in ODI cricket continue to fall as they suffer a new low against Bangladesh. At the Sher-E-Bangla National Cricket Stadium, Pakistan were bowled out for only 114 runs, despite handing out four ODI debuts.
However, Nahid Rana continued to be a foil in Pakistan’s plans to look beyond past legends and blood in fresh talent. Experienced players like Babar Azam and Shadab Khan were not considered as Pakistan picked their squad for the ODI series against Bangladesh.
Sahibzada Farhan, Maaz Sadaqat, Shamyl Hussain, and Abdul Samad were handed their ODI debuts in the first ODI. Nahid Rana, who came on to bowl the last over of the powerplay, took the first five wickets, including three of the debutants.
Pakistan’s debutants fail to shine
For the first time in 18 years, Pakistan handed four debuts in ODI. But it proved to be anti-fairy tale as the four players who were picked for their batting could only manage to score a combined total of 49 runs. Farhan, fresh off being the highest run-getter in the T20 World Cup 2026, scored 27 runs.
Sadaqat scored 18 as Bangladesh opened with a 41-run stand. Hussain managed to score only four runs on his debut. However, it was Abdul Samad who joined the unwanted list of being dismissed on a duck on ODI debut.
Rana breaks through Pakistan’s batting order
Nahid Rana picked up the first five wickets as he completely broke through Pakistan’s batting unit. He picked up a wicket in his first five overs. This was not the first time Rana went on to hurt Pakistan with his fiery pace. He has played two tests against the Men in Green in which he was one of the best players as Bangladesh recorded their first test series win against Pakistan. Rana, thanks to his extreme pace, has picked up 11 wickets in three games across formats against Pakistan.
Babar Azam and Shadab Khan’s absence felt
Babar Azam, in spite of his recent struggles, is still one of the best batters in One-Day Cricket for Pakistan. The former skipper was not named in the squad owing to his struggles in T20 cricket. However, the current skipper, Shaheen Afridi, provided clarification on whether Azam was dropped. “Look, no one is dropped for this series. We just want to give opportunities to our youngsters because they are our future,” the Pakistani skipper said before the first ODI. He averages more than 50 in ODIs, having scored 6,501 runs in the format.
Along with Azam, Shadab Khan was another notable miss from the squad. The spin-bowling all-rounder has been a vital cog in Pakistan’s white-ball teams over the years. In ODIs, he has picked up 85 wickets in 67 innings while going at an economy of close to five runs per over. With the bat in hand, he has been more than a handy player. In 44 innings, Khan has 855 runs next to his name while striking at 85.75.
As Pakistan collapsed against Bangladesh, it was certain that the two players were dearly missed. While both Babar and Shadab might not have had the best returns in the T20 World Cup, their presence in ODIs could have provided stability in the batting order.
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