Mohammad Wasim Jr Dropped from Pakistan T20I Squad for Remaining Australia Matches

Pakistan’s T20I squad for the ongoing Australia series has been trimmed, with fast bowler Mohammad Wasim Jr released ahead of the final two matches, the Pakistan Cricket Board confirmed on Friday.

The 24-year-old pacer, who travelled with the squad but did not feature in the opening fixture, will not take further part in the three-match contest. Pakistan took a 1–0 lead in the series with a 22-run win, and the management has now opted to move forward with a revised pace combination for the remaining games in Lahore.

Confirming the development, the board said: “Fast bowler Mohammad Wasim Jnr has been released from Pakistan’s T20I squad for the remaining two matches of the series against Australia.”

Wasim comes off a productive outing in Sri Lanka, where he grabbed five wickets across two T20Is and maintained a strong bowling average. Despite that return, team balance and combination appear to have driven the latest selection call. He is also not included in Pakistan’s squad list for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, which begins next month across India and Sri Lanka.

Team officials have not named a direct replacement, signaling confidence in the existing fast-bowling pool that includes Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah, and Faheem Ashraf. The second T20I is scheduled at Gaddafi Stadium, where Pakistan will look to seal the series.

Squad reshuffles close to tournament season often hint at role clarity, and this move suggests the think tank is narrowing its preferred T20 options.

Pakistan Updated T20I Squad

Salman Ali Agha (c), Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Khawaja Mohammad Nafay (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Salman Mirza, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan (wk), Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shadab Khan, Usman Khan (wk), and Usman Tariq.