PAK vs AUS: The Pakistan Cricket Board has announced the Pakistan squad for the ODI series against Australia, and their most talented batsman Babar Azam makes a return in the team.
The three-match ODI series between Australia and Pakistan will start on May 30. In addition to Babar Azam, veteran players Shadab Khan and Naseem Shah have also been selected. Wicketkeeper-batsman Mohammad Rizwan is a notable player that has not been selected in the 16-player squad.
Babar Azam, Shadab Khan and Naseem Shah Return
The comeback of Babar Azam is definitely the most discussed issue before the start of the upcoming PAK vs AUS ODI series. Babar Azam had last played for Pakistan in their ODI series victory at home against Sri Lanka in November 2025.
Another notable player making a comeback into the Pakistan ODI team is Shadab Khan, who was last seen playing for Pakistan in the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup match against England.
Naseem Shah, however, is back after overcoming injury problems due to which he was able to play fewer matches in PSL 2026.
The vice-captaincy of Salman Ali Agha has also been announced for Pakistan and the skipper Shaheen Shah Afridi will lead the team.
Uncapped Trio Earn Maiden Call-Ups
The PCB rewarded domestic and PSL performances by handing maiden ODI call-ups to three uncapped players:
Rohail Nazir – wicketkeeper-batter
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Arafat Minhas – left-arm spinner
Ahmed Daniyal – fast bowler
Ahmed Daniyal returns after recovering from a hamstring injury that cut short his PSL 2026 campaign.
Sufyan Moqim Back After Stellar PSL 2026
Left-arm wrist spinner Sufyan Moqim also received a call-up following a superb PSL 2026 campaign where he bagged 22 wickets and was declared Player of the Series. His last appearance in ODIs for the Pakistani team was against the West Indies in August 2025.
Pakistan Continue Transition in ODI Setup
The last time Pakistan participated in an ODI series was in March, when the team toured Bangladesh and tried out many new players, giving a debut to six of them. Nonetheless, the team lost the series by a margin of 2-1.
However, several players from the above ODI series tour of Bangladesh, including Faisal Akram, Faheem Ashraf, Hussain Talat, Mohammad Wasim Jnr., and Saad Masood, have been axed from the Australia series squad.
Injury Concerns Ahead of AUS vs PAK Series
Saim Ayub and Fakhar Zaman will miss out for Pakistan due to injuries, and Usman Khan missed out for Pakistan due to illness.
With all three unavailable, the Pakistani team have kept faith with the three youngsters Farhan, Sadaqat, and Hussain in the top order who played their debut games in Bangladesh.
Pakistan Squad for ODI vs Australia
Shaheen Shah Afridi (captain)
Salman Ali Agha (vice-captain)
Abdul Samad
Abrar Ahmed
Ahmed Daniyal
Arafat Minhas
Babar Azam
Haris Rauf
Maaz Sadaqat
Ghazi Ghori (wk)
Naseem Shah
Rohail Nazir (wk)
Sahibzada Farhan
Shadab Khan
Shamyl Hussain
Sufyan Moqim
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