Sports

Babar returns to T20I as PCB announces squads for white-ball series

Usman Tariq earns maiden call-up in T20I; Haris Rauf, Faisal Akram, Haseebullah recalled in ODI

By Sohail Imran

October 23, 2025

Pakistans then captain Babar Azam plays a shot during the ICC Mens T20 Cricket World Cup match against Canada on June 11, 2024. — AFP — Pakistan's then captain Babar Azam plays a shot during the ICC Men's T20 Cricket World Cup match against Canada on June 11, 2024. — AFP

LAHORE: Former captain Babar Azam has returned to Pakistan’s T20I squad as the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) unveiled squads for the upcoming white-ball home season against South Africa, Sri Lanka, and Zimbabwe.

Babar, who last featured in a T20I during the December 2024 series against South Africa in Centurion, had been out of the side for the Bangladesh, West Indies, and Asia Cup 2025 series.

A 15-member squad has been named for the T20I series against South Africa and the subsequent tri-nation event, while a 16-member lineup has been selected for the ODIs against South Africa and Sri Lanka.

Meanwhile, Salman Ali Agha has been retained as the T20I captain, and Shaheen Shah Afridi will lead the national team in ODIs for the first time. In the T20I squad, Abdul Samad and Naseem Shah also made their return, while Usman Tariq earned his maiden call-up.

For the ODIs, Faisal Akram, Haris Rauf, and Haseebullah have been recalled to the national setup.

The three-match T20I series between Pakistan and South Africa will be held in Rawalpindi and Lahore from October 28 to November 1, followed by a three-match ODI series in Faisalabad from November 4 to 8.

Pakistan will then host Sri Lanka for another ODI series in Rawalpindi from November 11 to 15, before turning their attention to the T20I tri-series (Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe) from November 17 to 29.

Pakistan T20I squad (15-member):

Salman Ali Agha (captain), Abdul Samad, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Hasan Nawaz, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Mohammad Salman Mirza, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usman Khan (wicket-keeper), Usman Tariq.

Reserves: Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Sufiyan Moqim.

Pakistan ODI squad (16-member):

Shaheen Shah Afridi (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Faisal Akram, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah, Hasan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan (wicket-keeper), Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha.