The Pakistan Cricket Board orchestrated a sweeping restructuring of its white-ball setup on October 5, naming opening batter Sahibzada Farhan as the new skipper of the national T20 squad. Farhan replaces Salman Ali Agha, whose leadership tenure came under heavy scrutiny following lacklustre team outings in both the Asia Cup and the T20 World Cup. In a drastic double blow, Salman was not only stripped of the captaincy duties but was also completely omitted from the roster for the upcoming home T20 fixture against Sri Lanka.
Star Names Omitted from T20s but Kept for One-Dayers
The overhaul also impacted Pakistan's high-profile core, with premier batter Babar Azam, pace spearhead Shaheen Shah Afridi, and express quick Haris Rauf all omitted from the T20 contingent. An extended run of subdued performances in the game's shortest format prompted selectors to overlook Babar and Shaheen in favour of fresh prospects. Nevertheless, all three seasoned campaigners remain part of the fifty-over plans. They have been included in the 16-man squad for the upcoming ODI tri-series featuring Sri Lanka and England, with Shaheen retaining his role as the designated one-day international skipper.
Asian Games Form Rewarded Amid Squad Changes
Farhan's promotion to national leadership follows his composed captaincy during the Asian Games, where he successfully guided Pakistan into the gold-medal showdown before they ended as runners-up against India. In contrast, wicketkeeper-batter Usman Khan paid the price for sloppy work behind the stumps during that identical Asian Games final defeat to India, resulting in his exclusion from the T20 side. Meanwhile, Razaullah earned his maiden white-ball national call-up across both squads, rewarded for his match-winning heroics in the third and final Test match against England where he struck nine sixes.
Full Itinerary for Sri Lanka Series and ODI Tri-Nation Event
The entire three-game bilateral T20 series against Sri Lanka will be staged at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. The opening fixture is scheduled for October 9, followed by the second contest on October 11 and the tour finale on October 13. Immediately after the bilateral games conclude, Pakistan will contest a seven-match ODI tri-series against England and Sri Lanka. The opening three fixtures of the triangular tournament will take place in Rawalpindi, after which the remaining league matches and the grand final will shift to Lahore.
Confirmed Lineups for the Upcoming Fixtures
The 15-man Pakistan T20 squad features Sahibzada Farhan at the helm, accompanied by Abdul Samad, Abrar Ahmed, Arafat Minhas, Fakhar Zaman, Hasan Nawaz, Khawaja Nafay, Maaz Sadaqat, Mohammad Salman Mirza, Muhammad Imran Randhawa, Naseem Shah, Razaullah, Saim Ayub, Shadab Khan, and Sufiyan Muqeem.
For the seven-match ODI tri-series, the 16-member Pakistan squad includes captain Shaheen Shah Afridi alongside Babar Azam, Haris Rauf, Salman Ali Agha, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Naseem Shah, Shadab Khan, Saim Ayub, Abrar Ahmed, Arafat Minhas, Hasan Nawaz, Muhammad Ghazi Ghori, Saad Baig, Razaullah, and Sufiyan Muqeem.
