In a notable development reflecting the Pakistan Cricket Board’s strategy for senior players, Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, and Shaheen Shah Afridi have been called up to the national white-ball training camp in Karachi, even though they are not part of the touring squad.

The PCB announced Tuesday that the three high-profile cricketers will join the 15-member squad selected for the upcoming three-match T20I series against Bangladesh.

While they will not travel for the tour itself, their presence in the camp underscores that they remain central to Pakistan’s future plans in limited-overs cricket.

The camp is scheduled to run from July 9 to 15 at the National Bank Stadium in Karachi, with all players expected to report today (Wednesday).

This approach reflects the PCB’s broader strategy to rebuild the T20I team by providing opportunities for emerging talent while maintaining continuity and experience within the setup.

While rotation policies have created space for younger players to feature in the Bangladesh series, integrating senior figures like Babar, Rizwan, and Shaheen into preparations is seen as a deliberate effort to keep the core leadership group engaged and prepared for future international assignments.