Rizwan Reportedly Facing ODI Omission for Australia Series and 2027 World Cup

Pakistan wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan is expected to be left out of the squad for the three-match ODI series against Australia, which will be played in Rawalpindi and Lahore.

Pakistan have already been hit with injury setbacks, with openers Saim Ayub and Fakhar Zaman ruled out.

Reports say the selectors are working closely with head coach Mike Hesson and captain Shaheen Shah Afridi to finalise the squad, and it now seems unlikely that Rizwan will be picked for the series.

Reports also say that Hesson is not keen on keeping Rizwan in the ODI setup after excluding him from the T20 team, which basically points to a change in Pakistan’s approach to white-ball cricket. He is also not part of the plans for next year’s ODI World Cup in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia.

Meanwhile, uncapped batter Ghazi Ghori, who played his first ODI as a specialist batter in the third match against Bangladesh on 15 March, is under consideration to stay in the squad for the home ODI series against Australia.

For the backup wicketkeeper role, selectors are reportedly deciding between Usman Khan and Mirza Saad Baig.

Australia are set to land in Islamabad on May 23, while Pakistan’s squad will start training in Rawalpindi from May 22 and also play a practice game before the series. Talking about the dates, the three Pakistan vs Australia ODIs will be played on May 30, June 2, and June 4. It is expected to be a fascinating contest, as Australia are coming up with some fresh faces to test their bench strength in the series.

On the other hand, Pakistan team is also looking to test some new talent in the upcoming matches, which is why the names of Ghazi Ghori, Ali Raza and Hunain Shah are currently getting the attention of the selectors.