Pakistan Announce New-Look Squad For T20 Series Against Bangladesh, Shadab Khan, Haris Rauf Miss Out

Pakistan have announced a revamped squad for their upcoming three-match T20I series against Bangladesh, set to be played in Mirpur, Dhaka from July 20 to 24. The team will be led by Salman Ali Agha and will be without several senior players, including all-rounder Shadab Khan and fast bowler Haris Rauf, both ruled out due to injuries.

Shadab is currently undergoing rehabilitation after recent shoulder surgery, while Rauf is recovering from a hamstring injury that also forced him to miss the Major League Cricket (MLC) 2025 playoff matches for San Francisco Unicorns. Key names such as Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, Shaheen Afridi, and Naseem Shah have also been rested for this tour as Pakistan continue their preparations for the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 in India and Sri Lanka.

This marks the second white-ball assignment for Pakistan under newly appointed head coach Mike Hesson. The squad includes a few changes from their previous T20I series in May, where Pakistan comfortably defeated Bangladesh 3-0 at home. The current squad has been trimmed slightly in size, and it reflects the team management’s intent to test emerging talent.

The bowling attack is noticeably short on experience. Medium pacer Ahmed Daniyal and left-arm quick Salman Mirza are yet to make their international debuts, while left-arm wristspinner Sufiyan Muqeem has featured in only 10 T20Is so far. Abbas Afridi is the most seasoned pacer in the lineup with 21 T20Is to his name. He gained attention during the Pakistan Super League (PSL), finishing as the fourth-highest wicket-taker with 17 wickets in 11 innings for Karachi Kings. Salman Mirza, representing Lahore Qalandars, also impressed with nine wickets in just four matches.

In the batting department, young opener Hasan Nawaz has played eight T20Is since debuting earlier this year. He made headlines in PSL 2025, scoring 399 runs in 10 innings for Quetta Gladiators at a striking rate of 162.19, making him the third-highest run-scorer of the tournament. Other notable inclusions in the batting unit are Fakhar Zaman, Khushdil Shah, and Saim Ayub, with wicketkeeping duties likely to be shared between Mohammad Haris and Sahibzada Farhan.

Pakistan squad for the T20I series against Bangladesh: Salman Agha (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Ahmed Daniyal, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Hassan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Haris (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Sahibzada Farhan (wk), Saim Ayub, Salman Mirza, Sufiyan Muqeem.