21 May, 2025 | 03:33 PM

In a major shake-up to Pakistan’s T20I setup, Sahibzada Farhan, Hasan Ali, and Saim Ayub have been recalled for the upcoming three-match series against Bangladesh later this month. The 16-member squad features nine changes from the one that toured New Zealand in March, with several senior players including Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, and Shaheen Shah Afridi missing out.

The return of Farhan was widely anticipated after his standout performances in the ongoing PSL 2025, where he has emerged as the tournament’s leading run-scorer. Representing Islamabad United, Farhan has piled up 394 runs at a strike rate of 154.50, including a century and two fifties. He last featured for Pakistan in a T20I in December 2024.

Hasan Ali has also earned a comeback after impressing with the ball in the PSL. He claimed 15 wickets for Karachi Kings, making him the joint second-highest wicket-taker alongside Abrar Ahmed and Jason Holder. Only Abbas Afridi, who has now been dropped, picked up more wickets (17).

Saim Ayub returns to the national fold after recovering from an injury sustained during the Test series in South Africa in January. While his PSL form for Peshawar Zalmi has been modest — 174 runs in 10 innings at an average of 17.40 — selectors have shown faith in his potential.

The squad also sees the return of Fakhar Zaman, Hussain Talat, Faheem Ashraf, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Wasim, and Naseem Shah, bringing in a mix of experience and depth across departments.

However, the exclusions of Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, and Shaheen Shah Afridi mark a significant change in direction. Babar and Rizwan were already dropped for the New Zealand series earlier this year when Salman Agha took over as T20I captain. Shaheen, who did feature in that series, has now also been left out.

This series will be the first assignment for newly appointed white-ball head coach Mike Hesson, who took over earlier this month. Though official dates are yet to be confirmed, the matches are expected to take place on May 28, 30, and 31.

Pakistan T20I squad vs Bangladesh:
Salman Agha (capt), Shadab Khan (vice-capt), Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Hassan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Haris (wk), Mohammad Wasim, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan (wk), Saim Ayub

IN: Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Hussain Talat, Mohammad Wasim, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub
OUT: Abdul Samad, Jahandad Khan, Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Ali, Omair Bin Yousuf, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufiyan Muqeem, Usman Khan

This bold selection marks a new era in Pakistan T20 cricket under the leadership of Salman Agha and the strategic oversight of Mike Hesson.