Cricket
Pakistan’s squad for the upcoming ODI series against Bangladesh has sparked debate after several senior players were left out, including star batter Babar Azam
Along with Babar Azam, players like Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Mohammad Nawaz, Haseebullah, and the injured Fakhar Zaman were not included in the squad
Pakistan head coach Mike Hesson clarified that the senior players were not “dropped” but rested to create opportunities for emerging talent
Six uncapped players - Sahibzada Farhan, Abdul Samad, Maaz Sadaqat, Muhammad Ghazi Ghori, Saad Masood, and Shamyl Hussain, have been included to test Pakistan’s bench strength
Hesson explained that Pakistan rarely gets time in the calendar to test young players, so this series is being used to evaluate the next generation
Sahibzada Farhan has particularly impressed selectors with his performances in domestic cricket and the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026, making him one of the exciting players to watch in the series