Pakistan drop Hasan Nawaz from ODI, T20I squads: Here's why
What's the story
Pakistan's promising batsman, Hasan Nawaz, has been dropped from the national ODI and T20 squads. The decision comes ahead of the upcoming series against Sri Lanka and a tri-series featuring Zimbabwe. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced that Nawaz will now focus on playing in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy First-Class tournament. Here are further details.
Squad changes
Fakhar Zaman replaces Nawaz in T20I squad
Opening batsman Fakhar Zaman has been named as Nawaz's replacement in the T20I squad for the upcoming tri-series against Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe. The tournament will begin on November 17. However, no replacement has been announced for Nawaz in Pakistan's ODI squad for a three-match series against Sri Lanka starting November 11 in Rawalpindi.
Player status
Abdul Samad's ongoing participation at Asia Cup rising stars
Abdul Samad's ongoing participation with Pakistan Shaheens at the Asia Cup rising stars has also been a factor in squad selection. The PCB had already named him for the Tri-series. Head coach Mike Hesson confirmed after Pakistan's 2-1 ODI series victory over South Africa on Saturday that Nawaz had been advised to play domestic first-class cricket.
Coach's perspective
Coach Hesson concerned about Nawaz's lack of experience
A source close to the matter revealed that Hesson was unimpressed with Nawaz's willingness to learn and improve. The coach was particularly concerned about the batsman's lack of experience in FC cricket. Since 2023, the 23-year-old has played just 12 FC matches, preferring white-ball cricket especially T20s over longer formats.
Information
Hasan failed to impress against the Proteas
Hasan played all three T20Is versus South Africa. He got a chance to bat in the 1st and 3rd T20I, scoring 3 and 5 respectively. He played one ODI and managed a paltry score of 1.