Babar, Ayub dropped from ODI side; Farhan called-up for Bangladesh series

There are six uncapped players in the squad of 15 for the three-match series

Danyal Rasool

Published: Mar 4, 2026, 12:06 PM (44 mins ago)

The fallout from Pakistan's disappointing T20 World Cup campaign has made its way to the ODI side, with the PCB dropping Saim Ayub and Babar Azam while dismantling the 50-over squad for the upcoming three-match series in Bangladesh.

The squad of 15 has six uncapped players, mostly in the batting department. Meanwhile, the World Cup's leading scorer so far, Sahibzada Farhan, is called up to the ODI side; he has not played a domestic 50-over game since October 2024 and is uncapped in ODIs.

Shaheen Shah Afridi will continue to lead the side after being appointed captain last year, while previous captain Mohammad Rizwan keeps his place as the wicketkeeper. T20 captain Salman Ali Agha, too, has survived the cull, while legspinner Abrar Ahmed and alrounder Faheem Ashraf are also part of the squad.

However, a number of players are in line to get ODI caps. Twenty-eight-year old batter Abdul Samad, who has primarily made his name as a hard-hitting T20I player, is in the squad, while 21-year old opener Shamyl Hussain also finds a place alongside 20-year old Maaz Sadaqat. Ghazi Ghori is another batter in line for a potential Pakistan debut, while 21-year old Saad Masood, with three List A games to his career, will also make the trip to Bangladesh.

The bowling unit is more recognisable. Abrar is the primary spinner, with Mohammad Wasim Jnr and Haris Rauf the quick bowlers alongside Afridi. Ashraf and Hussain Talat are in the squad as bowling and batting allrounders, while left-arm wristspinner Faisal Akram, who made his ODI debut in 2024, is drafted in as secondary spinner.

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Ayub's axing from what is his best format is, statistically at least, a surprise. He has three hundreds and two half-centuries in his previous 13 ODIs, and played a starring role in Pakistan's away series wins in Australia and South Africa in late 2024. His continued development as a fingerspinner has helped balance the squad in the past.

Babar, who has historically also found ODI cricket to be his most impressive format, did have an ordinary 2025. However, he scored his first century in 30 months in his second-most recent innings during a home series against Sri Lanka. There is no place in the squad for Naseem Shah, either, who played one match in the T20 World Cup, while Mohammad Nawaz, who had a poor tournament, is also left out of the 50-over series.

The three-match series begins on March 11, with the second and third ODI and March 13 and 15. All three games will take place in Dhaka.

Pakistan squad for Bangladesh ODIs

Shaheen Shah Afridi (capt), Abdul Samad, Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Faisal Akram, Haris Rauf, Hussain Talat, Maaz Sadaqat, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Ghazi Ghori (wk), Saad Masood, Sahibzada Farhan, Salman Ali Agha, Shamyl Hussain

Danyal Rasool is ESPNcricinfo's Pakistan correspondent. @Danny61000

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