Pakistan captain Shaheen Afridi confirmed that three players will make their ODI debut against Bangladesh in the first match of the three-match series at Sher Bengal National Stadium on Wednesday.
Debutants include Sahibzada Farhan, who impressed in the recently concluded 2026 T20 World Cup, scoring a record 383 runs in seven games, Maaz Sadaqat and Shamyl Hussain. All three will feature in Pakistan’s first 50-over international match.
“Of course, there will be three debuts. Sahibzada is the best player in the T20s and the best player in Pakistan Cricket’s A-list. Maz Sadaqat will open the batting and Shamil Hussain will bat in one game. These three will make their debuts. Hopefully, they can play their game and showcase their skills,” The Daily Star quoted Afridi as saying at the pre-match press conference.
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“We are happy to see them playing for Pakistan, not just for one series but for the future. They have experience playing here. They have played in the Bangladesh League here. Sahibzada and Maz have played here and a few others last year. They are familiar with the pitch and the conditions and I hope they play their best cricket,” he added.
Pakistan have performed well in the ODI format, winning their last two home matches against South Africa and Sri Lanka. Meanwhile, Bangladesh enter the series after defeating West Indies in the latest ODI.
Commenting on the upcoming match, captain Shaheen Afridi said that a tough match is expected as both the teams prepare for the 2027 ODI World Cup in South Africa.
“Any team is strong at home. Bangladesh are a good team and they performed well against West Indies. But we are also well prepared. We have performed well in the last two ODI series against South Africa and Sri Lanka and we hope to continue like this,” he said
Pakistan made major changes to their lineup in the series. They have already dropped Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman and Saim Ayub from the squad.
Pakistan vs Bangladesh: When and where to watch
Competition date: March 11, 2026
Time: 1:45 pm (IST)
Location: Dhaka Sher-e-Bangla
India TV broadcast: First ODI between Pakistan and Bangladesh will not be televised
Any channel in India.
Live Broadcast: The first ODI between Pakistan and Bangladesh will be live streamed on FanCode India app and website.
PAK vs. BAN teams:
Pakistan: Sahibzada Farhan, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Salman Agha, Hussain Talat, Maaz Sadaqat, Abdul Samad, Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Afridi (c), Haris Rauf, Abrar Ahmed, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Faisal Akram, Ghazi Ghori, Saad Masood, Shamyl Hussain.
Bangladesh: Soumya Sarkar, Tanzid Hasan Tamim, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Towhid Hridoy, Litton Das (wk), Afif Hossain, Mehidy Hasan Miraz (c), Mahidul Islam Ankon, Tanvir Islam, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Saif Hassan, Shoriful Islam, Rishad Hossain, Nahid Rana.
