• All three ODIs to be played at Shere Bangla Stadium.
• Shaheen Afridi to continue as Pakistan ODI captain.
• Maaz Sadaqat, Sahibzada Farhan among uncapped players. 

The Pakistan Cricket Board on Wednesday announced a 15-member squad for the three-match ODI series against Bangladesh, with star batter Babar Azam and all-rounder Saim Ayub left out of the selection.

All three ODIs will be played at the Shere Bangla National Stadium in Dhaka from 11 to 15 March, according to a statement issued by the cricket board.

Left-arm pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi will continue to lead the ODI side, with six uncapped players included in the squad.

The uncapped players are Abdul Samad, Maaz Sadaqat, Muhammad Ghazi Ghori, Saad Masood, Sahibzada Farhan and Shamyl Hussain.

Among them, Abdul Samad, Maaz Sadaqat, Saad Masood and Shamyl Hussain were part of the Pakistan Shaheens squad that played against England Lions in Abu Dhabi recently.

Notably, former ODI captain Babar and all-rounder Saim have been omitted from the squad.

For the unversed, Pakistan last played an ODI series in November last year, when they hosted Sri Lanka and completed a 3-0 clean sweep.

The series marked the second ODI assignment for captain Shaheen Shah Afridi, whose maiden stint in charge came in a home series against South Africa, which Pakistan won 2-1.

15-member squad:

Shaheen Shah Afridi (captain), Abdul Samad, Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Faisal Akram, Haris Rauf, Hussain Talat, Maaz Sadaqat, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Muhammad Ghazi Ghori (wk), Saad Masood, Sahibzada Farhan, Salman Ali Agha and Shamyl Hussain

Series schedule:

March 11 – First ODI at Shere Bangla National Cricket Stadium, Dhaka

March 13 – Second ODI at Shere Bangla National Cricket Stadium, Dhaka

March 15 – Third ODI at Shere Bangla National Cricket Stadium, Dhaka

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Cricket Board has decided to appoint former national captain Sarfaraz Ahmed as the new coach of Pakistan’s Test cricket team, according to sources.

Sarfaraz Ahmed is expected to take charge ahead of Pakistan’s upcoming Test series against Bangladesh national cricket team, scheduled for May.

The development comes after the tenure of interim coach Azhar Mahmood concluded.

Sources said the PCB is likely to make an official announcement soon, confirming Sarfaraz Ahmed’s appointment as part of the coaching setup for the red-ball squad.

Currently, Sarfaraz Ahmed is serving as manager and mentor of Pakistan’s Under-19 cricket team, where he has been working closely with young talent and development programs.

Sarfaraz, who captained Pakistan to victory in the ICC Champions Trophy 2017, is widely regarded as one of the country’s most experienced cricket leaders.

Cricket analysts believe his leadership experience and understanding of the dressing room could help strengthen Pakistan’s performance in Test cricket.

Bournemouth and USMNT midfielder Tyler Adams is on the radar of Manchester United, Chelsea, and Liverpool, while Bayern Munich have dismissed inquiries from a host of top clubs looking to sign winger Michael Olise. Join us for the latest transfer news and rumors from around the globe.

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TRENDING RUMORS

– Manchester United, Chelsea, and Liverpool are monitoring the situation of Bournemouth and USMNT midfielder Tyler Adams, according to The Daily Mail. Adams, 27, has made three appearances in the Premier League since returning from injury in the 0-0 draw against West Ham last month, and it is reported that all three Premier League clubs are considering a move for him in the summer. An offer worth around £40 million could be enough to land him, but any deal isn’t expected to take place until after the FIFA World Cup.

– Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester City, and Liverpool have made contact with Bayern Munich regarding a €100 million move for winger Michael Olise, according to TEAMtalk. The Bundesliga side have reportedly dismissed inquiries to sign the 24-year-old from all three clubs, with Real Madrid and Barcelona also monitoring the situation, and Olise reportedly viewing LaLiga as a preferable destination. Meanwhile, Florian Plettenberg says that the Reds are set to change their focus to 19-year-old RB Leipzig winger Yan Diomande, who is seen as a more feasible signing at around €80 million. His impressive campaign of nine goals and five assists in 23 league matches has seen him linked with several teams across Europe.

– Bayern Munich are interested in Galatasaray striker Victor Osimhen. Footmercato reports that the Bundesliga side have identified the 27-year-old as a potential future replacement for Harry Kane, 32, with manager Vincent Kompany having been impressed by his performances this season. It is reported that clubs in Saudi Arabia remain keen on Osimhen, who has scored 17 goals in 25 matches for the Lions across all competitions since joining them permanently from Napoli for a fee of €75 million in the summer.

– Barcelona are ready to step up their pursuit of Tottenham Hotspur defender Micky van de Ven. Sport reports that scouts have been sent to watch the 24-year-old as the Blaugrana look to acquire a left-footed center back, who is seen as a potential alternative to Internazionale‘s Alessandro Bastoni. Van de Ven has continued to be linked with an exit from Spurs amid the club’s poor run of form in the Premier League — they currently sit four points above the relegation zone ahead of their match against Crystal Palace on Wednesday.

– Borussia Dortmund winger Karim Adeyemi is stalling on signing a new contract and hopes to join a team in the Premier League, according to Bild. It is reported that the 24-year-old’s representatives have requested the inclusion of a release clause into any potential new deal at Signal Iduna Park, but the Bundesliga club are losing patience after failing to make any progress in negotiations. Adeyemi, who has previously been linked with Manchester United and Chelsea, will enter the final year of his deal in June.

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OTHER RUMORS

– Arsenal have been rebuffed over interest in Inter Milan forward Pio Esposito, 20. (Gazzetta dello Sport)

– Manchester United midfielder Kobbie Mainoo is attracting interest from clubs in the Premier League and Europe, as he is yet to agree to a new deal at Old Trafford. (Daily Mail)

– Manchester United are willing to offer captain Bruno Fernandes a contract worth £400,000-a-week to extend his stay at Old Trafford. (Daily Mirror)

– Wolverhampton Wanderers forward Mateus Mane remains on the shortlists of Liverpool and Manchester United. (TEAMtalk)

– Juventus are interested in Tottenham Hotspur striker Randal Kolo Muani. (Calciomercato)

– Manchester City are leading the race for Borussia Dortmund midfielder Felix Nmecha. (TEAMtalk)

– Manchester United have no plans to part ways with midfielder Mason Mount amid interest from Aston Villa and Fulham. (Football Insider)

– Brentford midfielder Fabio Carvalho is set to be one of five players allowed to leave this summer. (iNews)

– Fulham midfielder Harry Wilson, 28, is being lined up for a free transfer by Aston Villa. (Fabrizio Romano)

– Boca Juniors have begun talks with the representatives of Roma forward Paulo Dybala amid hopes of signing him as a free agent in the summer. (Nicolo Schira)

– Internazionale, Napoli, and Juventus are looking at Bayern Munich midfielder Leon Goretzka, who remains on the radar of Arsenal. (Tuttosport)

– Juventus have made progress with striker Dusan Vlahovic regarding discussions over a potential new contract. (Tuttosport)

– Celtic and Brighton are among the teams looking at Sao Paulo and Paraguay international midfielder Damian Bobadilla. (TEAMtalk)