The Pakistan national team selectors are poised to exclude senior players Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, and Shaheen Shah Afridi from the forthcoming T20 International series against the West Indies and Bangladesh. The move indicates a strategic shift to nurture young talent, with a busy international calendar on the horizon.
According to information, a four-member panel, comprising Aaqib Javed, Aleem Dar, Azhar Ali, and Asad Shafiq, along with head coach Mike Hesson, have notified the experienced trio that they will not be considered for the upcoming T20 engagements. The administration aims for them to concentrate on the ICC World Test Championship and the ODI format, where their experience is considered essential.
Pakistan’s tour of the West Indies, which includes three T20 Internationals and three ODIs, is slated for late July. Following that, the team will head to Bangladesh for a T20 series, originally planned for three matches. However, talks are ongoing to extend it to five matches in August.
In preparation for the Asia Cup, proposed for September, and the ICC T20 World Cup early next year, Pakistan is also scheduled to play Afghanistan in a T20 series later in August.
The selection panel and coach Hesson are eager to provide ample opportunities to young players in the shortest format of the game. The exclusion of senior players is a strategic decision aimed at expanding the squad’s depth, rather than being performance-based.
Shaheen Afridi, despite not being in the national T20 squad, recently led Lahore Qalandars to their third Pakistan Super League (PSL) title in five seasons. The exclusion of Babar, Rizwan, and Shaheen from the T20 squad is not unprecedented. Babar, in particular, has been sidelined from several recent series, including those against New Zealand, Bangladesh, Australia, Zimbabwe, and South Africa. This latest decision appears to be in line with the team management’s long-term strategic approach.