Pakistan captain Muhammad Rizwan and Babar Azam have been dropped from the T20 squad for the upcoming five-match series in New Zealand.
India will once again return empty-handed from the Champions Trophy after losing 2-3 in the bronze medal play-off against arch-rivals Pakistan, who walked away with their first medal in the event in eight years.
Hosts India drew curtains to their disastrous campaign at the Hero Junior Men's Hockey World Cup by finishing a disappointing 10th after losing to arch-rivals Pakistan in a classification match at the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium, in New Delhi on Sunday.
Pakistan have dropped plans to conduct "major surgery" on the national team as it included senior players Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan and Shaheen Shah Afridi in the Test squad for the two-match series against Bangladesh.
Fired four years ago following allegations of match-fixing, Ejaz Ahmed junior has been controversially appointed head coach of the Pakistan squad for the Asian Emerging Nations Cup, to be held in Karachi and Colombo in December.
The 22-year-old Afridi will join the national team in Australia on Saturday after completing his rehabilitation programme for a knee injury under the supervision of the PCB Medical Advisory Committee.
The World Cup will begin in Bhubaneswar from November 28 and Rizwan said his team is well prepared to handle the pressures during the prestigious tournament.
Ramandeep Singh scored two fine goals as the showpiece subcontinental hockey encounter between arch-rivals India and Pakistan ended in a thrilling 2-2 draw in the World League semi-finals at the KHC Dragons Stadium in Antwerp.
Pakistan needs to win all its matches and expect Australia to falter in at least two of their remaining four games.
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