• Source:JND
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Star batter Babar Azam and pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi are all set to be rested for the upcoming white-ball tour of Zimbabwe. According to the reports in Cricket Pakistan on Sunday (October 20), Babar, who relinquished ODI captaincy last year, will not be a part of the Zimbabwe tour along with pacer Afridi.

As per the reports, the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) selection committee is “contemplating leaving out 4 to 5 key players to provide younger talent with the opportunity to gain experience in foreign conditions.”

Pakistan will tour Zimbabwe for a three-match ODI series, which will be followed by a three-match T20I series in November.

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“If the plans go ahead, it could mean that Pakistan will field a relatively inexperienced squad against Zimbabwe. However, the PCB is optimistic that this approach will pay dividends in the long run," the report stated.

Babar, who led Pakistan in the T20 World Cup 2024, was dropped from the squad for the last two Tests against England in the ongoing three-match series on October 13 due to a performance slump. In addition to him, the pace duo Shaheen, Naseem Shah, and former captain Sarfaraz Ahmed were also left out of the squad.

Meanwhile, Kamran Ghulam replaced Babar in the Tests and came out to bat at No. 4 for Pakistan in the second Test against England. The 29-year-old right-handed batter shushed all the concerns about him replacing Pakistan's star batter as he hammered a century to set up a notable win for Pakistan in front of home fans.

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Meanwhile, Pakistan will travel to Australia for a white-ball series, starting on November 4, after the conclusion of the three-match series in front of home fans against England. However, Babar is expected to be part of a team, which will play three ODIs and as many T20I matches.