LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has shortlisted five players for the upcoming home T20I series against Bangladesh, set to commence next month.
As per reports, the players under consideration include Sahibzada Farhan, Hasan Ali, Ali Raza, Hussain Talat, and Faheem Ashraf.
Sahibzada Farhan is currently in exceptional form during the ongoing Pakistan Super League (PSL) 10, having accumulated 236 runs in five matches, including a century. He is also the leading run-scorer in T20 cricket this year, amassing 841 runs across 12 matches at an extraordinary average of 84.10.
The right-handed batter has made history by becoming the first Pakistani to score four T20 centuries in a single calendar year—a milestone previously achieved only by Chris Gayle, Virat Kohli, Jos Buttler, and Shubman Gill.
Farhan has represented Pakistan in nine T20 internationals, scoring 86 runs at a strike rate of 95.55. His most recent international appearance was against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo in 2024.
Leading wicket-taker
Hasan Ali, the leading wicket-taker of PSL 10, is also being considered for selection, owing to his stellar performances in the tournament thus far.
The right-arm fast bowler tops the bowling charts with 13 wickets from six matches. His last T20I outing for Pakistan was against Ireland in 2024.
Peshawar Zalmi all-rounder Hussain Talat is also in contention for a return to the national side following his impressive showing with the bat in PSL 10.
The left-hander has scored 193 runs in six matches. He last played for Pakistan in 2021 against South Africa.
Quetta Gladiators’ all-rounder Faheem Ashraf is being considered as well, having delivered solid performances with both bat and ball—scoring 68 runs and taking six wickets in the current PSL season.
Emerging pacer
Emerging pacer Ali Raza of Peshawar Zalmi has also drawn attention with his promising bowling, picking up eight wickets in six matches.
The 17-year-old fast bowler has yet to make his senior debut but featured for Pakistan Under-19 during the 2024 World Cup.
For context, Bangladesh are now set to play a five-match T20I series against Pakistan. Initially, the tour was slated to include three ODIs and three T20Is in May, according to the Future Tours Programme (FTP).
However, both cricket boards agreed to replace the 50-over matches with T20Is, considering the scheduling of the Asia Cup in September 2025 and the T20 World Cup, which is due to take place in India and Sri Lanka in February next year.
