Lahore: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced the 15-member squads set to tour Australia and Zimbabwe, engaging in three One Day Internationals (ODIs) and three Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is) in each country. The tours are scheduled from November 4-18 in Australia and November 24 to December 5 in Zimbabwe. Pakistan’s cricket selectors have opted for a rotational policy to integrate domestic performers, particularly for the Zimbabwe leg, where uncapped players will have opportunities to debut.
According to Pakistan Cricket Board, the announcement detailed that key players Babar Azam, Naseem Shah, and Shaheen Shah Afridi, rested during the last series, will rejoin the team for the Australia matches but will sit out the Zimbabwe tour. Mohammad Rizwan is set for the Australia games and the Zimbabwe ODIs but will rest during the Zimbabwe T20Is. The rotation strategy supports the team’s preparation for the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy.
The ODI squad for Australia will see the inclusion of Aamir Jamal, Arafat Minhas, Faisal Akram, Haseebullah, Muhammad Irfan Khan, and Saim Ayub, who are uncapped in this format. Meanwhile, Jahandad Khan and Salman Ali Agha are set to debut in the T20I squad. Other notable selections include Mohammad Hasnain, returning after an impressive domestic performance, and players like Kamran Ghulam and Omair Bin Yousuf, who will make their debuts on this international tour.
The strategy emphasizes resting senior players while providing international exposure to new talent, a move aligned with the PCB’s long-term vision for team resilience and depth. The full squads for both formats were disclosed, with several players set to participate in both the ODI and T20I games, underscoring the selectors’ confidence in their abilities across formats.
The team will depart in two groups for Melbourne, with the first leaving on October 28 and the remainder the following day. Pakistan’s white-ball coach, Gary Kirsten, will join the squad in Melbourne, orchestrating the preparations for the back-to-back series.