Pakistan have announced a 16-member squad for the upcoming three-match series against Bangladesh at home. They have continued to leave out big names, even as Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, and Shaheen Afridi will miss this series as well. All three T20Is of this series will be played at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.
Salman Ali Agha and Shadab Khan have been retained as captain and vice-captain, respectively, despite Pakistan losing 1-4 in New Zealand earlier this year. However, Fakhar Zaman has made a comeback after almost a year, having played for Pakistan in June 2024. Haris Rauf and Naseem Shah have also been included, even as Saim Ayub's return has boosted the squad as he has recovered from his injury.
For the unversed, Ayub was injured during Pakistan's South Africa tour, and he was ruled out of the subsequent Champions Trophy. Meanwhile, Sahibzada Farhan has been finally rewarded for his consistency in the domestic T20 and the PSL. He last played for Pakistan back in 2018, and after seven years, is making his comeback to the national side after amassing 394 runs in 10 innings in PSL 2025 so far.
This series will also be crucial for Mike Hesson, who was recently appointed the head coach of Pakistan in white-ball cricket. He has had fruitful stints in different T20 leagues and was also with the New Zealand team before. The schedule of the upcoming Bangladesh series is expected to be announced soon and it's very likely that the series will get underway on May 27.
Pakistan's squad for Bangladesh T20Is: Salman Ali Agha (c), Shadab Khan (vc), Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Hassan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Haris, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub