Pakistan announce squads for Sri Lanka T20Is, ODI tri-series

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has made a significant change to its T20I leadership, with Sahibzada Farhan replacing Salman Ali Agha as captain for the upcoming three-match series against Sri Lanka.

Farhan, who recently led Pakistan at the 2026 Asian Games, has now been given the responsibility of leading the national side in the shortest format. Pakistan reached the Asian Games final before losing to India and taking home the silver medal.

Salman, meanwhile, has been left out of the T20I squad altogether after being removed from the captaincy.

What does Shaheen’s continued ODI role mean?

The captaincy change is limited to T20Is. Shaheen Shah Afridi will continue as Pakistan’s ODI captain for the upcoming tri-series involving England and Sri Lanka.

The PCB has therefore opted for separate leadership in the two white-ball formats, with Farhan taking charge of the T20I side while Shaheen remains at the helm in ODIs.

Why is Babar Azam missing from the T20I squad?

One of the most notable aspects of the selection is the absence of Babar Azam from the T20I squad.

Babar has not been included for the Sri Lanka series, meaning Pakistan will enter the three-match assignment without one of its most established white-ball batters. His omission comes alongside the leadership change and signals a notable shift in the composition of the T20I side.

Who are the new faces?

The selectors have also rewarded several players with opportunities in white-ball cricket.

Razaullah has earned his maiden white-ball call-up after impressing with the bat during the third Test against England. Wicketkeeper-batter Saad Baig has been included in the ODI squad, while Mohammad Imran Randhawa has received his first T20I call-up.

At the same time, Usman Khan and spinner Usman Tariq have been omitted from the squads.

Which Asian Games players have missed out?

Several members of Pakistan’s Asian Games squad have also been left out of the home assignments.

Pacers Ali Raza, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Akif Javed and Ahmed Daniyal have not been selected for either of the upcoming white-ball campaigns.

When does Pakistan’s home campaign begin?

Pakistan will face Sri Lanka in three T20Is at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on 9, 11 and 13 October.

The team will then enter the ODI tri-series against England and Sri Lanka. The first three matches will be played in Rawalpindi before the tournament shifts to Lahore for the remaining league fixtures and final.

With Farhan replacing Salman as T20I captain and Babar absent from the squad, Pakistan’s T20I setup has undergone a significant change ahead of the Sri Lanka series.

T20I squad: Sahibzada Farhan (c), Abdul Samad, Abrar Ahmed, Arafat Minhas, Fakhar Zaman, Hasan Nawaz, Muhammad Imran Randhawa, Khawaja Nafay (wk), Maaz Sadaqat, Naseem Shah, Razaullah, Saim Ayub, Mohammad Salman Mirza, Shadab Khan and Sufiyan Moqim.

ODI squad: Shaheen Shah Afridi (c), Abrar Ahmed, Salman Ali Agha, Arafat Minhas, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Muhammad Ghazi Ghori (wk), Haris Rauf, Hasan Nawaz, Naseem Shah, Razaullah, Saad Baig (wk), Saim Ayub, Shadab Khan and Sufiyan Moqim