'No one is dropped' - Shaheen on Babar's exclusion

Pakistan ODI skipper Shaheen Afridi said on Tuesday that former captain Babar Azam was not dropped from the squad for the three-match ODI series against Bangladesh. Instead, Shaheen clarified that they have opted to try out a few younger players with an ODI World Cup coming up next year.

The exclusion of Babar from ODIs came as a surprise given he is the leading scorer for Pakistan during the last one year, scoring 395 runs from 12 innings. Babar has been under scrutiny for a while though because of his poor returns in T20 cricket.

"Look, no one is dropped for this series," Shaheen clarified when asked about Babar. "We just want to give opportunities to our youngsters because they are our future and we wanted to give them the opportunity against Bangladesh.

"When the time comes, they will know their roles and what is coming in the future and we just need to prepare our team for the World Cup, and this is a good opportunity for the youngsters to go out and show their skills.

Shaheen also confirmed that three players - Sahibzada Farhan, Shamyl Hussain and Maaz Sadaqat - will make their ODI debuts in the opening match of the series. Pakistan begin a new ODI cycle ahead of the 2027 World Cup and the trio are being rewarded for their impressive performances in domestic cricket.

"Yeah, there will be like three debuts of course. Sahibzada Farhan will be there. He's a top performer in T20s and in one-day and also in List A cricket for Pakistan," said Shaheen. "There will be Maaz Sadaqat, who will open, and Shamyl Hussain will bat at one down. So there will be three debutants and I hope they will play their own game and show their skills. As a team we are very excited to see them play for Pakistan - not just for this series but for the future as well," he said adding that he is optimistic of the surface assisting fast bowlers.

"So far it feels like it could be a little bit helpful for fast bowlers. We will see. I haven't looked at it properly yet, so I will check again and then discuss with the team management before making a final decision. The Pakistan team is always known for fast bowling and we will definitely rely on our fast bowlers to take wickets. At the same time our spinners can also contribute."

Shaheen is also hopeful of his players adapting to the conditions quickly given some of them feature in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) quite regularly. "I think some of the players already have experience here because they played in the Bangladesh League and for them it will feel quite normal because they already know the ground and the pitch. They understand the conditions, so I hope they will play their best cricket," he said.

All three matches of the ODI series will be played at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium. While the opener is set for Wednesday (March 11), the second and third ODIs will be played on March 13 and 15.