Pakistan all-rounder Khushdil Shah has drawn attention after reposting a post on X criticizing the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) selection decisions, including picking Shadab Khan, following the announcement of the squad for the three-match ODI series against Australia.
The PCB has named a 16-member squad for the series, which will be played from May 30 to June 4 in Rawalpindi and Lahore. Shaheen Shah Afridi will captain the side, while Salman Ali Agha has been named vice-captain. Babar Azam, Haris Rauf, Shadab Khan, and Naseem Shah have returned to the squad, while Mohammad Rizwan has been left out.
The squad also includes three uncapped players: Rohail Nazir, Ahmed Daniyal and Arafat Minhas. Shadab Khan has also been included in the ODI squad.
Khushdil Shah’s repost focused on a strongly worded post questioning Shadab Khan’s place in the ODI setup. The original post criticized the PCB and asked why Shadab Khan was still being considered for ODIs in 2026. It also questioned why the series was not being used to test young pacers such as Ali Raza or Ubaid Shah.
What the hell is wrong with the PCB? How on earth is Shadab still considered relevant in ODIs in 2026? This is a joke with Pakistan fans. They are really mocking us now. Was this not a series to test a young pacer like Ali Raza or Ubaid Shah? And are we convinced that the Rizwan… https://t.co/LBpqQkEmNo
— Caught At Silly Point (@atsillypoint) May 22, 2026
The post further raised questions over Pakistan’s wicketkeeping options after Rizwan’s exclusion and asked whether Rohail Nazir and Ghouri justified his replacement. It also questioned the absence of Saad Masood, who had been selected in the previous series but was not included this time.
The repost has also brought Khushdil’s own national team exclusion back into focus. Khushdil has been part of Pakistan’s white-ball setup since 2019. He made his T20I debut against Australia in November 2019 and his ODI debut against Zimbabwe in November 2020.
Khushdil recently spoke about his exclusion from the national team after producing a match-winning performance for Karachi Kings against Lahore Qalandars in Pakistan Super League (PSL 11).
He said he does not rely on social media or old videos to claim he has been treated unfairly, but pointed out that he had scored 700 to 800 runs in domestic cricket while batting at No. 5 or No. 6, including a double century, and was still dropped from the Pakistan team.
