Pakistan batter Hasan Nawaz has been omitted from both the forthcoming One-Day International (ODI) series against Sri Lanka and the Tri-Nation T20I tournament involving Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe, following a frustrating run of poor form against South Africa.
The 23-year-old, who was handed opportunities in two T20Is and one ODI during the recent series, failed to make any meaningful impact with the bat. In response, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has confirmed that Nawaz will return to domestic cricket to feature in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, where selectors hope he can regain his confidence and touch.
Both the ODI and T20I squads were announced on 23 October. While no replacement has been named for Nawaz in the ODI side, the explosive opener Fakhar Zaman has been recalled to the T20I squad for the tri-nation series.
Nawaz first captured national attention in March 2024, when he smashed a scintillating century — 105 off just 45 balls — against New Zealand in Auckland. The innings, peppered with powerful fours and towering sixes, created immense expectations. However, his form has sharply declined since that sensational performance. In his first ten T20I innings, he was dismissed for a duck five times and has managed only two fifties across 25 matches.
Earlier this year, Nawaz excelled in the Pakistan Super League (PSL), finishing as the third-highest run-scorer with a strike rate of 162 and helping Quetta Gladiators reach the final. He scored 76 from 43 balls in the championship match, though his side fell short against Lahore Qalandars.
Despite these flashes of brilliance, inconsistency has plagued him over the last two months. Nawaz was dropped towards the conclusion of the Asia Cup after failing to build on his early promise. In ODIs, he has accumulated just 56 runs from four matches, averaging 14. His recent dismissal against South Africa, stumped off George Linde after an ill-judged charge, drew criticism for a lack of match awareness. In T20Is, he has reached double figures only once in his last eight innings, averaging a mere seven.
The ODI series against Sri Lanka begins on 11 November, followed by the Tri-Nation T20I Series starting 17 November — the first multi-nation T20 tournament to be hosted on Pakistani soil.
Selectors have stressed that Nawaz remains part of Pakistan’s long-term plans, but he must rediscover his rhythm through consistent domestic performances before returning to the international fold.
Pakistan T20I Squad: Salman Ali Agha (c), Abdul Samad, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Salman Mirza, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usman Khan, Usman Tariq
Pakistan ODI Squad: Shaheen Shah Afridi (c), Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Faisal Akram, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah, Hussain Talat, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha