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Babar, who scored a century for Pakistan within the last ODI series against Sri Lanka, has been dropped for the upcoming series in Bangladesh.
Babar Azam dropped from Pakistan’s ODI squad. (Picture Credit: AFP)
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Wednesday (March 4) announced Pakistan’s 15-member squad for the upcoming ODI series against Bangladesh. Pakistan will travel to Bangladesh next week to play three one-day matches in Mirpur. Within the team picked for 3 50-over matches, PCB’s selection committee dropped Babar Azam. Babar scored a century for the Men in Green of their last ODI series against Sri Lanka in November 2025, but despite that, he was not included within the Shaheen Shah Afridi-led squad.
The choice to drop Babar has not gone down well with former Pakistan skipper Mohammad Yousuf. The previous right-handed batter took to X on Wednesday evening to share a post wherein he stated that Babar’s exclusion from the ODI squad was mind-boggling.
In line with Yousuf, Babar’s inclusion within the T20 World Cup squad was surprising, but the choice to drop him from ODIs is mind-boggling.
“#BabarAzam’s inclusion within the #T20WorldCup was surprising, but his exclusion now, if it’s not simply a case of being rested is mind boggling. Who’s making these senseless decisions,” Yousuf tweeted.
What’s Babar’s record in ODIs?
Babar has amassed a complete of 6501 runs in 140 ODI matches for Pakistan since making his debut in 2015. His batting average within the 50-over format of the sport is 53.72, and he has smashed 20 centuries and 37 fifties. No Pakistani batter has scored more centuries in ODIs than Babar.
Other changes in squad
Aside from Babar, left-handed top-order batter Saim Ayub has also been dropped from the ODI team, whereas world No. 2 T20I batter Sahibzada Farhan has earned his maiden ODI call-up.
Pakistan’s T20I captain Salman Ali Agha, all-rounder Faheem Ashraf, spinner Abrar Ahmed, Farhan and Shaheen are 4 players from Pakistan’s T20 World Cup 2026 squad which have been picked for the ODI series in Bangladesh.
A complete of six uncapped players – Abdul Samad, Maaz Sadaqat, Muhammad Ghazi Ghori, Saad Masood, Sahibzada Farhan and Shamyl Hussain – have been picked within the squad for the upcoming series. Of those six uncapped players, Abdul Samad, Maaz Sadaqat, Saad Masood and Shamyl Hussain were a part of the Pakistan Shaheens squad that played against the England Lions in Abu Dhabi recently.
Pakistan’s squad for ODI series against Bangladesh: Shaheen Shah Afridi (C), Abdul Samad, Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Faisal Akram, Haris Rauf, Hussain Talat, Maaz Sadaqat, Mohammad Rizwan (WK), Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Muhammad Ghazi Ghori (WK), Saad Masood, Sahibzada Farhan, Salman Ali Agha and Shamyl Hussain
March 04, 2026, 20:31 IST
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