- By Himanshu Badola
- Wed, 04 Mar 2026 06:09 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Babar Azam has been dropped from Pakistan's ODI team as he was not included in their 15-member squad for the upcoming three-match series against Bangladesh, set to be played in Dhaka from 11 to 15 March. The big decision has come a few days after Pakistan's disappointing outing in the ICC T20 World Cup 2026.
Babar couldn't make a big impact with the bat as Pakistan failed to make it to the semifinals. The senior batter found himself omitted from the playing XI in a crucial, must-win fixture against Sri Lanka. With an aim to come up with a fresh start in the ODI format, the Pakistan Cricket Board has opted for a fresh approach by naming six uncapped players in the squad. Abdul Samad, Maaz Sadaqat, Muhammad Ghazi Ghori, Saad Masood, Sahibzada Farhan and Shamyl Hussain have all earned their maiden call-ups.
Among them, Samad, Sadaqat, Masood and Hussain were part of the Pakistan Shaheens squad that played against England Lions in Abu Dhabi recently. Star pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi will continue to lead the squad, with senior figures such as Mohammad Rizwan, Haris Rauf and Salman Ali Agha included in the squad. The selectors, however, have made some notable omissions. Saim Ayub and Fakhar Zaman have not been picked in the 15-man group, joining Babar on the sidelines for the Bangladesh tour.
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Pakistan will be heading into the match on the back of a 2-1 series victory over South Africa at home. Notably, Babar scored a century in his last ODI series.
According to the report, the PCB decided to fine the players after Pakistan lost a group-stage match to arch-rivals India on February 15. However, after the team qualified for the Super 8 stage, the players were told the fine could be waived if Pakistan reached the semifinals, but they failed to do so.
Babar has been a remarkable player for Pakistan in white-ball cricket over the past few years. He has played 140 ODI matches for Pakistan, and has scored 6501 runs at an average of 53.73 on the back of 37 fifties and 20 centuries.
Pakistan ODI squad for Bangladesh series
Shaheen Shah Afridi (captain), Abdul Samad, Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Faisal Akram, Haris Rauf, Hussain Talat, Maaz Sadaqat, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Muhammad Ghazi Ghori (wk), Saad Masood, Sahibzada Farhan, Salman Ali Agha and Shamyl Hussain