Babar named in Pakistan squad for T20 series
Shaheen Shah Afridi returns from injury, and Babar Azam kept his place in Pakistan’s T20 format despite a below-par Big Bash League season as the selectors named a 16-member squad for the three-match home series against Australia.
Australia arrive in Lahore next week to play three games at Gaddafi Stadium before both teams fly out to Sri Lanka for the T20 World Cup, starting from Feb. 7.
Last month, Afridi’s BBL season was cut short after sustaining a knee ligament injury. However, the left-arm fast bowler has recovered to lead Pakistan’s pace attack.
Babar failed to make an impact in his first BBL season, where he scored 202 runs in 11 matches at a strike rate of just 103.06. He was released by the Sydney Sixers on Thursday to prepare for the series against Australia.
Babar got embroiled in a controversy during his stay in Australia when he showed displeasure after his teammate Steven Smith kept him away from strike by refusing a single off the last ball of an over during a BBL game before both players reconciled.
The inconsistent performance of Babar led former Australia batter Mark Waugh to suggest the Sixers should drop the Pakistan star batter from the crucial last playoff game against Hobart Hurricanes before they released him for national duty on Thursday.
The selectors continued to ignore Haris Rauf despite the fast bowler claiming 20 wickets in the BBL for Melbourne Stars. Rauf hasn’t played a T20 international since the Asia Cup in the United Arab Emirates last year.
Wicketkeeper-batter Khawaja Nafay, who made an impressive T20 debut against Sri Lanka this month, kept his place in the squad. Pakistan also included the spin quartet of Abrar Ahmed, Usman Tariq, Shadab Khan, and Mohammad Nawaz with Salman Mirza, Naseem Shah, Mohammad Wasi,m and Faheem Ashraf as pace options.
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Squad: Salman Ali Agha (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Khawaja Nafay, Mohammad Nawaz, Salman Mirza, Mohammad Wasim, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shadab Khan, Usman Khan, Usman Tariq.