Azam and Afridi Return to Pakistan Squad Ahead of Australia Series and T20 World Cup

Former Pakistan captains Babar Azam and Shaheen Shah Afridi have been recalled to the national T20 squad for the three-match home series against Australia, set to begin Thursday. These matches mark Pakistan’s final bilateral fixtures before next month’s T20 World Cup.

Azam, who had missed the recent series against Sri Lanka while participating in Australia’s Big Bash League (BBL), cut short his BBL campaign to join the national team. Afridi, meanwhile, is returning after recovering from a knee injury sustained during last month’s BBL season.

The Pakistan-Australia T20 series will be held in Lahore, concluding on February 1. Pakistan, the 2009 T20 World Cup champions, will then open their Group A campaign in Colombo against the Netherlands on February 7.

Pakistan T20 Squad: Salman Ali Agha (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Khawaja Mohammad Nafay, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Salman Mirza, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shadab Khan, Usman Khan, Usman Tariq