Shaheen Afridi and Babar Azam to be excluded from the team for the series against Zimbabwe : Reports

It is expected that Babar Azam, the star Pakistani cricketer and ex-captain, will be on a break during the upcoming white-ball tour to Zimbabwe. Pakistan is scheduled to visit Zimbabwe in November for a three-match ODI series and then a three-match T20I series thereafter. On Sunday (October 20), Cricket Pakistan cited that Babar, who had stepped down from ODI captain position last year, alongside star pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi, will not be part of the Zimbabwe tour.

What is available, however, is that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) selection committee is ‘considering cutting out 4 to 5 main players so as to allow younger players the experience at foreign conditions.’

“If so, it may be that Pakistan will send a comparatively young team to Zimbabwe. Nonetheless, the PCB has faith that this strategy will be beneficial in future.”

Khan, who served as Pakistan’s Captain during the T20 World Cup 2024, was withdrawn from Pakistan’s squad on October 13 for the remaining two Tests of the series with England due to dip in form. With him, Shaheen, pace bowler Naseem Shah and former Captain Sarfraz Ahmed were also omitted.

In the second Test match against England last week when Babar was unavailable, Pakistan’s Kamran Ghulam batted at Number 4 and scored a century taking the 29-year-old right-handed batter’s team’s home-win streak intact in front of the home fans.

After the home series against England comprising of three matches, Pakistan would be heading to Australia first for a white-ball series which is set to begin on November 4. Babar is looking forward to being part of the team on the trip to the Down Under which will include three ODIs and three T20I games.

According to recent updates on Pakistan cricket, the wicketkeeper-batter, Mohammad Rizwan will take over the reins from Babar Azam as the new white-ball captain of Pakistan and will also be available for the forthcoming tour of Australia.

Pakistan has not participated in any ODI match post ODI World Cup 2023, however within the forthcoming couple of months the side will be playing as many as nine ODIs