, March 11 -- Pakistan will field three debutants in their top batting order for the first ODI against Bangladesh, as captain Shaheen Shah Afridi dismissed claims that veteran batter Babar Azam was dropped from the squad.

Sahibzada Farhan and Maaz Sadaqat will open the innings, followed by Shamil Hussain at number three, marking a major top-order overhaul for the visiting side.

The absence of experienced players like Azam and Saim Ayub drew scrutiny, particularly after Azam scored a century in Pakistan's recent home series against Sri Lanka.

Speaking to reporters in Mirpur on Tuesday, Afridi denied that any players were permanently removed from the roster.

"No one has been dropped from this series," Afridi said. "We just wanted to giv...