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 give opportunities to the youngsters, who are our future. We need to prepare the team for the World Cup."

The youthful Pakistani squad features six players without an ODI cap, four of whom have no international cricket experience. Both teams enter the series following contrasting recent performances.

Pakistan secured series victories against South Africa and Sri Lanka, including a sweep of the latter. Bangladesh, despite a difficult year that included a series loss to Sri Lanka and a sweep by Afghanistan, recently defeated the West Indies at home.

"Bangladesh is a good team at home," Afridi said. "They played good cricket and beat the West Indies. As a team, we are also prepared and must maintain the momentum from our last two series."