Previously, they were dropped from a few recent T20I series.
Three of the Pakistan cricket stars, including former captain Babar Azam, current ODI skipper Mohammad Rizwan and the prime pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi, may have played their last fixtures in T20Is. According to PTI, Pakistan selectors Aaqib Javed, Aleem Dar, Azhar Ali, Asad Shafiq alongside the newly appointed head coach Mike Hesson have informed the players about their snub from the 20-over internationals.
Reportedly, the selection panel and coach Hesson are currently looking to provide a proper run to the new and young players in the T20Is. Previously, Babar was not picked in the T20I squad for five consecutive series against Australia, Zimbabwe, South Africa, New Zealand and Bangladesh. Rizwan and Shaheen were also dropped from the squad in the latest 20-over series.
“The idea is that if things go south, then the selectors can always go back to Babar, Rizwan and Shaheen,” said a source to PTI.
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Notably, Pakistan will tour the West Indies in July for three T20Is and as many ODIs. This will be the first clash between the two sides since 2021 when Pakistan registered a 3-0 whitewash over the WI in the home T20I series.
Following this, they will fly to Bangladesh for a three-match 20-over series in August. However, there are talks regarding the series which might convert into a five-match one. They have also clean swept Bangladesh in the recently hosted three-match series last month.
The ex-Pakistan skipper Babar endured a lean patch in the shortest cricketing format last year. He managed to score only six half-centuries in 24 matches with a poor strike rate of 133.21. Rizwan also scored 617 runs in 18 matches whereas Shaheen bagged 36 wickets in 23 matches in 2024. In the latest away T20I series against New Zealand, Shaheen just managed to scalp one wicket in four matches at an economy of 8.6.
These three players have also had a similar kind of season in the recently concluded Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2025. Apart from a 49-ball-94 knock at a fierce strike of 191.83 against the Karachi Kings, the Peshawar Zalmi skipper Babar scored only two more fifty-plus scores in 10 matches of the tournament. Multan Sultan captain Rizwan also had an average outing this season after his smashing 105* knock off 63 balls in their PSL 2025 opening clash against the Karachi Kings.
However, Shaheen led his team Lahore Qalandars to their third PSL title in four years. He scalped 14 wickets in 10 matches of the tournament.
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