The Pakistan Cricket Board has announced a 15-member squad for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026. The tournament will be held in India and Sri Lanka from February 7 to March 8. The squad was revealed during a media conference in Lahore.
The announcement was made in the presence of PCB Director of High Performance and national selector Aqib Javed. Pakistan white-ball head coach Mike Hesson was also present. T20I captain Salman Ali Agha attended the press conference as well.
Several first-time World Cup players included as Pakistan prepare for Sri Lanka leg
The biggest talking point from the selection is the exclusion of fast bowler Haris Rauf. He has been an important part of Pakistan’s T20 setup in recent years. His omission comes as a surprise due to his strong record in the format.
The squad features several players who will play their first senior ICC World Cup. Faheem Ashraf, Khawaja Mohammad Nafay, Mohammad Salman Mirza, Sahibzada Farhan, and Usman Tariq have all earned maiden call-ups for a global event. The selection signals a fresh approach by the team management.
Senior batter Babar Azam has been retained in the squad. He is the all-time leading run-scorer in men’s T20 internationals. Fakhar Zaman, Saim Ayub, and Usman Khan will strengthen the top order. The all-round options include Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, and Faheem Ashraf, who are expected to play key roles.
The pace bowling unit will be led by Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah. Abrar Ahmed is the only specialist spinner in the squad.
Under the ICC’s Fusion Formula, Pakistan will play all their matches in Sri Lanka. They will not travel to India during the tournament. If Pakistan reach the semi-finals or final, those matches will be held in Colombo.
Pakistan are placed in Group A with India, the Netherlands, the USA, and Namibia. They will start their campaign against the Netherlands on February 7 in Colombo. Matches against the USA, India, and Namibia will follow.
Pakistan squad for T20 World Cup 2026:
Salman Ali Agha (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Khawaja Mohammad Nafay (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Salman Mirza, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan (wk), Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shadab Khan, Usman Khan, Usman Tariq.
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