Babar Azam, Naseem Shah return as Pakistan name white-ball squads for home fixture

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced their white-ball squads for the upcoming home fixtures across the next month. It features notable returns, including Babar Azam and Naseem Shah to the T20I team, and Haris Rauf to the ODI squad, ahead of the upcoming series against South Africa and Sri Lanka.

Pakistan will host South Africa for six white-ball fixtures (three T20Is and three ODIs) from October 28, before Sri Lanka visits for another three 50-over contests from November 11, as per the ICC website.

Rawalpindi and Lahore will then host a T20I tri-series between Pakistan, Zimbabwe, and Sri Lanka, with Salman Ali Agha set to lead the side once again following his appointment earlier this year.


Babar and Naseem sat out recent T20I fixtures against the West Indies and this year's Asia Cup, but return to the fold just months out from the start of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup in early next year.

Rauf is one of three players included for an ODI return, alongside Faisal Akram and Haseebullah. The matches against South Africa will be the first for Pakistan under the new ODI captain, Shaheen Afridi.

Pakistan T20I squad: Salman Ali Agha (c), Abdul Samad, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Hasan Nawaz, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Mohammad Salman Mirza, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usman Khan, Usman Tariq. Reserves: Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Sufiyan Moqim

Pakistan ODI squad: Shaheen Shah Afridi (c), Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Faisal Akram, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah, Hasan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha

Schedule:

South Africa tour to Pakistan

• 28 October - First T20I at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi
• 31 October - Second T20I at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore
• 1 November - Third T20I at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore
• 4 November - First ODI at Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad
• 6 November - Second ODI at Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad
• 8 November - Third ODI at Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad

Sri Lanka tour to Pakistan

• 11 November - First ODI at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi
• 13 November - Second ODI at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi
• 15 November - Third ODI at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi

T20I Tri-Series (Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe)

• 17 November - Pakistan v Zimbabwe, Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi
• 19 November - Sri Lanka v Zimbabwe, Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi
• 22 November - Pakistan v Sri Lanka, Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore
• 23 November - Pakistan v Zimbabwe, Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore
• 25 November - Sri Lanka v Zimbabwe, Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore
• 27 November - Pakistan v Sri Lanka, Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore
• 29 November - Final, Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore.