Pakistan have made a major change to their T20I leadership, replacing Salman Ali Agha with Sahibzada Farhan as captain for the upcoming three-match series against Sri Lanka.
The T20I series begins on Friday in Rawalpindi, with Farhan set to lead the side after recently guiding Pakistan to a silver medal at the Asian Games. Pakistan lost the final to India.
Salman has not only been removed from the captaincy but has also been left out of the T20I squad. However, he remains part of Pakistan’s ODI plans and has been selected for the upcoming tri-series involving Sri Lanka and England.
Pakistan make sweeping changes to T20I squad
The leadership change comes after a difficult period for Pakistan in the shortest format. Under Salman, the team lost the Asia Cup final to India and subsequently failed to reach the semifinals of the 2026 T20 World Cup.
Farhan now gets an opportunity to lead a revamped T20I squad, with several players who impressed at the Asian Games receiving call-ups.
Hasan Nawaz, who scored a notable 96 against India in the Asian Games final, retains his place. Abdul Samad, Maaz Sadaqat, Arafat Minhas and Sufiyan Moqim have also been included after featuring at the continental event.
Former Pakistan captain Babar Azam has also been left out of the T20I squad, although he has been selected for the ODI tri-series.
Naseem Shah returns, Razaullah earns maiden white-ball call-up
Fast bowler Naseem Shah returns to the T20I squad after missing out since the 2026 T20 World Cup.
Razaullah has received his first white-ball call-up after playing a key role in Pakistan’s third Test against England. The youngster has been included in both the T20I and ODI squads.
Shaheen Shah Afridi, meanwhile, has not been selected for the T20I series against Sri Lanka but will captain the ODI side in the tri-series, which begins on October 18 in Rawalpindi.
The Sri Lanka series will also mark the return of Shaun Tait to Pakistan’s coaching staff. The former Australian fast bowler is back as bowling coach after previously holding the position from February 2022 for a year.
Pakistan will hope the changes can provide a fresh start in T20I cricket as the team looks to rebuild ahead of its next major international challenges.
Pakistan T20I squad for Sri Lanka series
Sahibzada Farhan (captain), Abdul Samad, Abrar Ahmed, Arafat Minhas, Fakhar Zaman, Hasan Nawaz, Muhammad Imran Randhawa, Khawaja Nafay (wicketkeeper), Maaz Sadaqat, Naseem Shah, Razaullah, Saim Ayub, Mohammad Salman Mirza, Shadab Khan, Sufiyan Moqim.
Pakistan ODI squad for tri-series
Shaheen Shah Afridi (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Salman Ali Agha, Arafat Minhas, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Muhammad Ghazi Ghori (wicketkeeper), Haris Rauf, Hasan Nawaz, Naseem Shah, Razaullah, Saad Baig (wicketkeeper), Saim Ayub, Shadab Khan, Sufiyan Moqim.