T20 future of Babar, Rizwan, Shaheen remains uncertain

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan selectors are inching closer to finalising squads for upcoming international assignments, with the national team set to tour Bangladesh and the West Indies in back-to-back T20I series.

However, the continued exclusion of senior players Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, and Shaheen Shah Afridi from the selectors’ immediate plans has raised questions about their future roles in Pakistan’s shortest-format setup.

The official announcement of the squads is expected in the first week of July, ahead of a short but crucial training camp scheduled in Karachi starting July 8. Players selected for the dual tours are to assemble on July 7. Head coach Mike Hesson, currently in New Zealand, is set to return to Pakistan by July 5 to oversee preparations.

Babar, Rizwan, and Shaheen, who were rested for the recent home series against Bangladesh, are once again expected to miss out. According to sources close to the selection committee, the think-tank remains unconvinced about including them in the upcoming series.

“Selectors do not appear interested in recalling Babar or Rizwan at this stage, and there are reservations even about Shaheen’s involvement in the T20 matches against Bangladesh and West Indies,” a well-placed source told The News.

The squads for both tours are expected to mirror the youthful combination that impressed during the recent three-match series against Bangladesh at home, signaling the selectors’ desire to test Pakistan’s be