Babar Azam rested for Zimbabwe tour, squads for Australia series announced

Pakistan announced 15-member squads for white-ball series tours to Australia and Zimbabwe starting from November 4 onwards, with star batter Babar Azam being rested from the Zimbabwe tour and the captain yet to be decided. Pakistan are yet to name a white-ball captain but the list of players is out, who will be travelling to Australia, followed by Zimbabwe next week.

The key news for Pakistan will be the return of experienced campaigners Babar, Shaheen Shah Afridi, and Naseem Shah for the Australia tour, who were given a break for the last two Tests against England. They, however, will be rested for the Zimbabwe tour, as per ICC.

Mohammad Rizwan will be available for both Australia matches and the Zimbabwe ODIs but will not participate in the T20Is. Pakistan will also have three debutants in their midst - Kamran Ghulam, Omair Bin Yousuf and Sufyan Moqim, while Aamir Jamal, Arafat Minhas, Faisal Akram, Haseebullah, Muhammad Irfan Khan, and Saim Ayub have joined the ODI squad for the first time.

Meanwhile, Jahandad Khan and Salman Ali Agha have made their maiden appearance in the T20I squad for the Australia tour. Pakistan will play three ODIs against Australia from November 4-10, followed by as many T20Is from November 14-18.

ODI squad for Australia: Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Arafat Minhas, Babar Azam, Faisal Akram, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah(WK), Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Rizwan(WK), Muhammad Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Shaheen Shah Afridi

T20I squad for Australia: Arafat Minhas, Babar Azam, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah(WK), Jahandad Khan, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Rizwan(WK), Muhammad Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Omair Bin Yousuf, Sahibzada Farhan, Salman Ali Agha, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufyan Moqim, Usman Khan

Multiple young players have been added to the squads for the Zimbabwe tour. Apart from Salman Ali Agha, Ahmed Daniyal, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah, Mohammad Hasnain, Muhammad Irfan Khan and Tayyab Tahir have been named in both ODI and T20I squads. The tour begins on 24 November with three ODIs, followed by three T20Is, concluding on December 5. All matches will take place in Bulawayo.

ODI squad for Zimbabwe: Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Ahmed Daniyal, Faisal Akram, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah (WK), Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Rizwan (WK), Muhammad Irfan Khan, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Shahnawaz Dahani and Tayyab Tahir

T20I squad for Zimbabwe: Ahmed Daniyal, Arafat Minhas, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah (WK), Jahandad Khan, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Hasnain, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Omair bin Yousuf, Qasim Akram, Sahibzada Farhan, Salman Ali Agha, Sufyan Moqim, Tayyab Tahir and Usman Khan. (ANI)