Former Pakistan captain Mohammad Yousuf has questioned the decision to exclude star batter Babar Azam from Pakistan’s squad for the upcoming ODI series against Bangladesh.
“Babar Azam’s inclusion in the T20 World Cup was surprising, but his exclusion now, if it’s not simply a case of being rested is mind-boggling. Who is making these senseless decisions,” Yousuf wrote on X.
Yousuf, who represented Pakistan in 90 Tests, 288 ODIs, and three T20 Internationals, expressed dissatisfaction after the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced the squad earlier today.
The PCB named a 15-member squad for the ODI series against Bangladesh, scheduled to take place from March 11 to March 15. All three matches will be played at the Shere Bangla National Stadium in Dhaka.
The squad announcement saw the removal of six players, including former captain Babar Azam. They were replaced by six uncapped players: Abdul Samad, Maaz Sadaqat, Muhammad Ghazi Ghori, Saad Masood, Sahibzada Farhan, and Shamyl Hussain.
The decision to rest several key players comes just days after Pakistan failed to qualify for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 semi-finals. Pakistan missed out after failing to beat Sri Lanka by a margin of 65 runs in their final Super Eights match on February 28.
Babar struggled with the bat during the tournament, scoring 91 runs in six innings at an average of 22.75.
However, his form in the longer format had recently improved. In Pakistan’s most recent ODI series, a three-match home assignment against Sri Lanka, Babar scored 165 runs, including his 20th ODI century, which ended a long drought in the format.