Pakistan to Drop Mohammad Rizwan? New Options Expected for Australia ODI Series 2026

Pakistan is reportedly considering major changes in its ODI squad ahead of the upcoming series against Australia national cricket team, with the wicketkeeping department set to be the key focus of selection decisions.

According to sources, Mohammad Rizwan, the former skipper and wicketkeeper, could be sidelined from the ODI team, as the management is considering to bring in fresh faces to test in the ODI format.

It is believed head coach Mike Hesson is advocating for structural changes in the white-ball squad after the T20 series, especially in rebuilding the wicketkeeping unit for the future.

New Wicketkeeping Options in Camp

According to the reports, two other emerging wicketkeepers Mirza Saad Baig and Usman Khan are also being considered for the training camp squad and both are in the consideration window in the final squad.

Further, ODI series spinner Ghazi Ghori is also being considered for the selection and thus competition remains for keeping job too.

Series Schedule Confirmed

The Pakistan-Australia ODI series is set to kick off on May 30, 2026, with the matches taking place on May 30, June 2, and June 4.

The Australian team is scheduled to arrive in Islamabad on May 23 and the Pakistan national cricket team will start off their training camp in Rawalpindi from May 22. The squad will also play in a warmup game prior to the series.

Selection Strategy Shift

The omission of a big hitters such as Mohammad Rizwan suggests that Pakistan might be changing its ODI long-term approach to develop younger options for their keeper ahead of upcoming ICC events.

With the series against Australia approaching, selectors are expected to finalize the squad after assessing performance in the training camp and practice fixtures.