Opener fakhar zaman

T20 World Cup: Pakistan have left out former captain Babar Azam from the squad for the upcoming three-match ODI series against Bangladesh, beginning March 11, following the team’s disappointing campaign in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, where they were out from the Super 8s stage.

Babar featured in 17 ODIs in 2025, scoring 544 runs at a strike rate of 77.16. Although he struck a century in Pakistan’s previous ODI series against Sri Lanka, the selectors opted to move in a different direction based on his recent form. His omission comes amid criticism from several former cricketers after Pakistan’s early World Cup exit, with some calling for a long-term break from white-ball cricket.

The 31-year-old had a below-par T20 World Cup 2026 campaign, where he managed just 91 runs from four outings with the bat.