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Babar Excluded, Naseem Over Afridi; Biggest Selection Shockers By Pakistan For BAN T20Is

Debashis Sarangi

Babar Azam and Abbas Afridi aren't a part of PAK squad [Source: @Iam_hassan10, @_jerseynumber56/X]Babar Azam and Abbas Afridi aren't a part of PAK squad [Source: @Iam_hassan10, @_jerseynumber56/X]

Recently, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced the men's squad for the upcoming T20I series against Bangladesh. While Fakhar Zaman and Naseem Shah made T20I comebacks, Salman Ali Agha was chosen as the skipper for the much-awaited tour. 

Pakistan picked a relatively young team for the tour, with the likes of Sahibzada Farhan, Hassan Nawaz, Mohammad Haris and Saim Ayub forming their batting core. However, they have taken some shocking selection calls, as mentioned below. 

No Babar Azam Despite Top Order Collapses In New Zealand

  • While Pakistan's decision to form a dynamic top-order in T20Is is understandable, their middle order is still a work in progress. This is precisely why the absence of Babar Azam, their most reliable batter, raised eyebrows. 
  • More importantly, Pakistan suffered repeated top-order collapses in Babar's absence on the New Zealand tour. So, fans expected the batter to make a T20I comeback in order to stabilise their batting lineup. 
  • However, the hosts opted against recalling the star batter, preferring those players who have performed superbly in the PSL. While Mohammad Haris retained his place despite failures in New Zealand, the likes of Sahibzada Farhan and Fakhar Zaman found a place in the team. 

2. Naseem Shah's Selection Over Abbas Afridi

Criterion
Data
Innings20
Wickets33
Average15.48
Strike Rate10.8

(Abbas Afridi's stats in T20Is)

  • Abbas Afridi has been one of the top performers for Pakistan in T20I cricket of late. He has bagged 33 wickets in just 20 matches at a superb strike rate of 10.8. 
  • In fact, the speedster is Pakistan's third-best performer with the ball after Haris Rauf and Shaheen Afridi since his debut last year. Therefore, his non-selection definitely comes as a shocker for Pakistan cricket fanatics from across the world. 
  • Pakistan prioritised Naseem Shah's experience over Abbas Afridi's expertise for the Bangladesh tour. It's worth mentioning that Naseem was dropped for the NZ series and hasn't had a great PSL campaign this season (9 wickets in 10 matches, average 40.33), while Abbas has scalped 17 wickets at a magnificent strike rate of 13.76. 
  • So, it's actually unfair on Abbas Afridi, who has capitalised on limited opportunities for the Men in Green. 

3. Irfan Khan Maintains His Spot Inspite Of Failures

Criterion
Data
Innings5
Runs67
Average13.4
Strike Rate136.73

(Irfan Khan's stats since SA series)

  • Middle-order batter Irfan Khan Niazi has had a torrid run in T20I cricket of late. Despite being given regular chances, the right-handed batter hasn't quite lived up to the hype. 
  • Statistically, Irfan Khan has managed only 67 runs in his previous five T20I outings at a horrendous average of 13.4. 
  • More importantly, he hasn't been impressive in the PSL 2025 either, scoring 165 runs in 10 innings at an average of 20.63 and a modest strike rate of 132. Therefore, his selection in the Pakistan squad for the Bangladesh T20Is is questionable.