Pakistan on Friday announced their T20I squad for the upcoming home series against Australia, with fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi making his return after recovering from a knee injury.
The selectors largely retained the squad that featured against Sri Lanka earlier this month, with Afridi’s comeback the only major change. Babar Azam also returns to the side following a brief and underwhelming stint in the Big Bash League.
Afridi had sustained a knee injury while fielding during the BBL in Australia and subsequently returned home for rehabilitation at the High Performance Centre in Lahore.
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Australia are scheduled to arrive in Pakistan on January 28 and will play a three-match T20I series at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. This will be only Australia’s second T20I series on Pakistani soil, following a solitary match played in April 2022.
Meanwhile, the Pakistan Cricket Board is yet to finalise its T20 World Cup squad, with speculation growing over a potential boycott of the tournament in India. The uncertainty stems from Pakistan’s reported support of the Bangladesh Cricket Board’s stance on not touring India due to security concerns.
Pakistan T20I squad vs Australia
Salman Ali Agha (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Khawaja Mohammad Nafay (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Salman Mirza, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan (wk), Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shadab Khan, Usman Khan (wk) and Usman Tariq.
Series schedule (all matches at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore)
• 1st T20I: January 29
• 2nd T20I: January 31
• 3rd T20I: February 1
(By PTI Inputs)
