PCB announces 15-member ODI squad for Australia series

E-Paper | October 01, 2026

PCB announces 15-member ODI squad for Australia series

Zeeshan Ahmed Published December 30, 2016

Pakistan Cricket Board's National Selection Committee, led by Chief Selector Inzamamul Haq, has announced the names of the 15 players to be included in Pakistan's one-day international (ODI) squad for the upcoming series against Australia.

Pakistan will play five ODI matches in the series from January 13, 2017 to January 26, 2017.

The selection has been made after consultation with the team's head coach and the ODI captain.

"The ODI team has been selected keeping the conditions in Australia in mind and the performances of players in the recent ODI series against West Indies and in domestic cricket," explained Inzamamul Haq.

"The team is a fine blend of experience and youth and the selectors have stuck to the same combination of players that played against West Indies earlier. We believe that team will do well in the tour,” he added.

The names on the squad are:

Azhar Ali (Captain)
Sharjeel Khan
Babar Azam
Asad Shafiq
Shoaib Malik
Sarfraz Ahmed (Vice captain and wicket-keeper)
Umar Akmal
Mohammad Rizwan
Mohammad Nawaz
Imad Wasim
Rahat Ali
Mohammad Amir
Wahab Riaz
Hasan Ali
Mohammed Irfan

Yasir Shah and Sohail Khan have been dropped from the line-up.

While talking to DawnNews fast-pacer Mohammad Irfan said, “I am really thankful to the selectors and the management who have shown their trust by including me in the team,”

Talking about his fitness Irfan said that he has been playing domestic first-class cricket in long-form and ODI format, so he is in full form and will use his fitness to benefit the Pakistani side.

The seven-feet-tall bowler says that he has an advantage of his height which gives him extra bounce and he will use that to take wickets. “I am the only bowler with this height and I have an advantage of this which I will use on the bouncy pitches of Australia and take wickets,” he said.

“My main target is Smith who is in form right now, as my bounce is unusual I will try to use it to bowl him out,” he said.

“I had difficulty in the first two matches in the World Cup but now I am familiar of those pitches and will bowl the right delivery needed to take wickets,” the bowler added.

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Sab Se Pehle Pakistan

Dec 30, 2016 01:17pm

So they kept Rahat Ali and dropped Sohail Khan? He performed with both bat and ball. What else do you want fron him?

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Riza ali

Dec 30, 2016 01:26pm

Yet again poor selection by retaining Rahat Ali and dropping Sohail Khan, Junaid Khan is surely better than all of them after Mohd Aamir. Could have excluded Mohd Nawaz as well as the pitches will not assists spinners.

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hashim

Dec 30, 2016 01:53pm

should have included Junaid Khan in place of Rahat Ali

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Dr. Kent B Huzen

Dec 30, 2016 01:57pm

Why Imad Wasim is not playing in test side? He is a good all rounder, don't understand Pakistan cricket !

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kashmirrrii

Dec 30, 2016 02:17pm

where is Junaid khan.

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I M Khan

Dec 30, 2016 02:51pm

not fair selection. M Irfan is not fit for ODI why not Junaid Khan? Inzi Bhai, do you have any problem with Junaid Khan?

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asad

Dec 30, 2016 03:05pm

Fails to understand why Mohammad Rizwan is part of team, there can be better more suited options but persisting with him is inexplicable.

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Umar

Dec 30, 2016 03:24pm

@Sab Se Pehle Pakistan you are so right the selectors are clueless .Look at Australians the players at their peak they retire gracefully .They know that reactions on fast wickets are slow you need young energetic players yet we persist this ideology old is gold

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Mandy

Dec 30, 2016 03:40pm

Pakistan will loose the series 0-5.

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Mandy

Dec 30, 2016 03:41pm

@I M Khan Their was fair selection for test matches but still Pakistan lost the test series.

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A Pakistani_Ireland

Dec 30, 2016 04:07pm

What a wonderful player Wahab Riaz is...... No matter how many matches Pakistan lost... He will stay with the team..... A real performer without performance

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KM Malaysia

Dec 30, 2016 04:34pm

why Mohammad Rizwan be part of the team again and again...?? When last time he perform and what performance he is been giving so many chance..?? Same goes to Wahab Riaz...??? When he perform Match winning performance last time...??? Very disappointed with chairman selection Inzi Bhai.

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I M Khan

Dec 30, 2016 04:46pm

@Mandy Even in test matches there was no fair selection per my understanding. Easily, Fawad Alam and Junaid Khan should have been included in the squad. In ODI, there is no automatic choice for Wahab Riaz and we all know Rahat Ali cannot bat.

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Philosopher(from japan)

Dec 30, 2016 05:03pm

Inzi looks quite biased or naive in team selection or may be he himself doesn't watch Pakistan's matches.

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Fatima Saadia

Dec 30, 2016 05:21pm

Inzi is biased with Fawad Alam, Roman Raees, Junaid Khan these are talented and well cricketers but bad luck no chance talented Wahab, Rahat, Aamir and Shohaib Malik get chances they have strong SIFARSH. Result will be bad, no hope, Inzi always prefer his friends, why above 3 barred them.

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Wasim Rathore

Dec 30, 2016 07:39pm

@Umar Very good points!

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Shazad

Dec 30, 2016 08:47pm

@Mandy: Who says selection was fair? Do you know Sami Aslam has FC average 36 and Babar Azam average is 39? ... Are there no batsmen in Pakistan first class whose average is better than them? Fact is that, there are 10s of Pakistani fine batsmen who rot without getting into test, but somehow, batsmen lower ability keep finding a place in national team, than when Pakistan collapse, instead of stop going on like, dislike, parchi, nepotism, corruption, and so on, all start talking about ... yea tou game hay ... tum haro yea jeeto, hamay tum say piyar hay. Same is happening at various places in country, be that political posts, or bureaucracy, police, judiciary, intelligence or forces, and poor are suffering ... while, country is going down the drain.

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omer

Dec 30, 2016 09:23pm

Thanks to inzi... He stamps the destiny of 5-o. pakistan will be whitewashed for sure.. even a lay man can say that

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SaraH

Dec 30, 2016 10:00pm

Only mad selection committee will ever think of dropping Khalid Latif after the way he batted in last series.Time to move Imad Wasim,Umar Akmal in Test squad along with Ahmed Shehzad.

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SaraH

Dec 30, 2016 10:05pm

Don't play Yasir Shah outside subcontinent as he is not able to adjust to alien condition.It is common for the subcontinent spinner.Better to play Imaad Wasim and Muhammad Nawaz as spinner in those conditions.Imaad Wasim deserves place in Test squad along with Umar Akmal,Ahmed Shehzad.Babar Azaam ,Sami Aslam not ready yet for highest level of cricket.

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SaraH

Dec 30, 2016 11:04pm

@Fatima Saadia I don't think Babar Azaam or Sami Aslaam deserve to be given any more chances.It was pain to watch them.I would rather go with old players then pre mature players.

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syed

Dec 30, 2016 11:51pm

Where is junaid khan? Why Hassan Ali? I was expecting Sohail khan not rahat Ali. and Kamran Akmal instead of Muhammad Rizwan he never performed. Completely looks team selection is being done under pressure that's why we are at no 8.please change the captain

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Mirza Karamat Baig

Dec 31, 2016 01:24am

Junaid Khan and Sohail Khan deserve to be in the side instead of Irfan and Rahat. Irfan has fitness issues and would not last for 5 matches while Rahat is an ordinary bowler compared to Junaid. Even Wahab is too expensive for one dayers.

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naveed,usa

Dec 31, 2016 05:52am

@hashim Have u seen Junaid's eco rate in the domestic cricket,he can not contain loCal batsmen,how can he contain the international batsmen?

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uncle joe

Dec 31, 2016 10:52am

Mohd Irfan's structure does not support him to be a pace bowler as he is prone to injury.

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Bossman

Dec 31, 2016 12:49pm

Enough of Wahab & Rahat. Selection committee has no power. Blame the team management for the result.

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Texans

Dec 31, 2016 03:38pm

Rahat Ali & Mohd Rizwan- who do they know to be keep getting selected ahead of all rounder Sohail Khan (badly needed replacement of Razzaq), Junaid Khan, Kamran Akmal and Fawad Alam.....

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Shazad

Dec 31, 2016 06:31pm

If I was Australian Captain, my strategy would be to have very defensive bowling and fielding when Azhar is batting and make sure that he does not get out (drop all catches he gives and ask bowler never to ball straight on the wicket, neither appeal if he gets LBW). In this way, Australia can make sure that Pakistan total stays low whatever happens with other batsmen, as Azhar would make sure to block 30 plus overs for maybe 60 odd runs, and with him on the wicket, other batsmen would play slow too (probably making 80 to 100 in remaining 20 odd overs they would face). So, in this way, Australia would succeed in restricting Pakistan within 150 runs (in 50 overs), maybe at most 200 runs (in 50 overs) if others play recklessly and manage to stay on wicket.

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uncle joe

Dec 31, 2016 10:01pm

@KM Malaysia Rizwan is favorite of Azhar Ali. That is the reason he is in the squad

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Jaswant Ganga

Jan 01, 2017 01:01am

Another recipe of disaster. 5-0 in favor of Australia for sure. Other than Sharjeel and Umer Akmal, everyone is tuk tuk but they are inconsistent too! Pakistan has to play in qualifying round.

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ranga

Jan 01, 2017 03:29am

Md.Irfan - again making statements about targeting Smith with his bounce.... what a pity, even before getting there and playing a game, he has come up with a plan. this kind of statements will not go down well. just head down, perform and play to your potential. dont talk.

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Your Name

Jan 01, 2017 08:08am

where is Mahommed Hafeez And shahezad his A star cricketr of pak pls Back hafeez

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Haseeb shinwari

Jan 01, 2017 08:59am

I am really very happy for the odi team I am fun sarfarz Ahmad sarfarz ia very good playar and good vice captain and wicket keeper

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athar hussain

Jan 02, 2017 11:48am

where is junaid khan . and ahmad shahzad.pcb is currupted .

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