Babar Azam Excluded from Pakistan ODI Squad Against Bangladesh

Former Pakistan captain Babar Azam has been excluded from the squad for the upcoming one-day international series against Bangladesh, despite delivering a stellar performance in his previous ODI series. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) made the surprising announcement on Wednesday.

Although Azam scored an unbeaten 102 against Sri Lanka last November, his performance in the recent Twenty20 World Cup was underwhelming, as he amassed only 91 runs in four innings, leading to Pakistan's exit in the Super Eight stage. Shaheen Shah Afridi, known for his left-arm fast bowling, will assume the captaincy for the three-match series set to commence next week in Dhaka.

The PCB has introduced fresh talent by calling up six uncapped players, including Abdul Samad, Maaz Sadaqat, Saad Masood, and Shamyl Hussain. These players had previously been part of the squad that played against the England Lions in Abu Dhabi before that series was abruptly ended due to Middle Eastern conflicts.