A Change at the Top for Pakistan’s T20I Team
Sahibzada Farhan will take over as captain for the upcoming three-match series against Sri Lanka. Salman Ali Agha has been removed as captain and has also been dropped from the T20I squad entirely. Farhan recently led Pakistan to a silver medal at the Asian Games. His stock has been rising steadily after strong performances at last year’s Asia Cup and the T20 World Cup.
Farhan’s Recent Performances
Farhan was the highest run-scorer at the T20 World Cup, scoring 383 runs at a strike rate of 160. Pakistan finished as runners-up to India at the Asia Cup. At the Asian Games, Sahibzada Farhan did not have the same success with the bat in the two games Pakistan played. However, Pakistan pushed India close in the final before losing by 19 runs. His leadership during that tournament impressed the selectors enough to give him the captaincy for the Sri Lanka series.
Hasan Nawaz Returns to the Squad
Hasan Nawaz, who scored 96 in the Asian Games final against India, has returned to the T20I side after a year. He retains his place for the series against Sri Lanka. Before the Asian Games, Nawaz had last played a T20I in November 2025. He fell out of favour after a poor Asia Cup and a string of low scores. His performance in the Asian Games final has earned him another chance.
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Naseem Shah Makes His Comeback
Naseem Shah also returns to the side. His last game in the format came at the T20 World Cup in February. He has also been named in the squad for the ODI tri-series against Sri Lanka and England, which follows the T20Is. Naseem suffered a knee injury at the PSL in April. Since then, he has built up his bowling workloads in domestic cricket and also played in the CPL. His return is a boost for Pakistan’s bowling attack.
Razaullah Earns His Spot
Right-arm quick Razaullah also features in both squads. He impressed with his pace on Test debut against England in September. He followed that up with a thrilling innings with the bat. Razaullah is uncapped in both limited-overs formats, but his performances have earned him a place in both the T20I and ODI squads.
ODI Squad: Shaheen Afridi Retains Captaincy
There is less upheaval in the ODI squad. Shaheen Afridi retains his captaincy. The ODI squad includes Babar Azam but not Mohammad Rizwan. Rizwan is currently embroiled in an investigation and legal proceedings with the National Cyber Crime Investigation Authority. He does not feature in the T20I squad either. Ghazi Ghori, who also made his Test debut against England at Edgbaston and has played four ODIs, is now Pakistan’s first-choice wicketkeeper in ODIs. Khawaja Nafay is the only specialist wicketkeeper in the T20I squad.
Shaun Tait Returns as Bowling Coach
The T20Is and tri-series also see the return of Shaun Tait as Pakistan’s bowling coach. Tait previously served in the role for a year, from February 2022. He comes back to Pakistan after a successful 12-month stint as Bangladesh’s fast-bowling coach. He quit in June after overseeing a 2-0 Test series victory against Pakistan. Under Tait, Bangladesh also beat Pakistan in ODI and T20I series.
Series Schedule
Pakistan’s T20I series against Sri Lanka begins on October 9. All three matches will be played in Rawalpindi. The ODI tri-series starts on October 18. Pakistan will take on Sri Lanka in the opener in Rawalpindi. The tri-series also includes England. The return of experienced players like Naseem Shah and the appointment of a new T20I captain, Sahibzada Farhan, signal a fresh start for the team. Fans will be watching closely to see how the new leadership performs.