Sahibzada Farhan rewarded for his impressive performances as Pakistan overhaul T20I leadership, while Naseem Shah returns and Shaun Tait is reinstated as bowling coach.
Pakistan have made a major shake-up to their T20 International setup, removing Salman Ali Agha as captain and dropping him from the squad for the three-match series against Sri Lanka.
Sahibzada Farhan has been appointed the new T20I captain, taking over ahead of Pakistan’s home series against Sri Lanka, with all three matches scheduled to be played in Rawalpindi.
Farhan’s elevation follows a steady rise in his international standing, built on a series of impressive performances in major tournaments. He led Pakistan to the silver medal at the recent Asian Games and previously played a prominent role in the team’s campaigns at the Asia Cup and T20 World Cup.
Pakistan finished runners-up to India at last year’s Asia Cup, before Farhan emerged as the leading run-scorer at the T20 World Cup, accumulating 383 runs at a strike rate of 160.
Although he failed to reproduce that batting form in Pakistan’s two matches at the Asian Games, the team pushed India hard in the final before eventually losing by 19 runs. Farhan’s leadership during the tournament has now earned him the opportunity to take charge of Pakistan’s senior T20I side.
Hasan Nawaz Returns, Naseem Shah Back in the Fold
Hasan Nawaz has retained his place in the T20I squad following his return to the side at the Asian Games, where he struck an impressive 96 in the final against India.
Nawaz had last represented Pakistan in a T20I in November 2025 before falling out of favour following an underwhelming Asia Cup campaign and a series of low scores. His performance in the Asian Games final has helped him regain his place in the national setup.
Fast bowler Naseem Shah has also returned to the T20I squad, having last played in the format at the T20 World Cup in February.
Naseem sustained a knee injury during the Pakistan Super League in April but has since worked his way back by gradually increasing his bowling workload in domestic cricket before featuring in the Caribbean Premier League.
He has also been included in Pakistan’s squad for the ODI tri-series involving Sri Lanka and England, which follows the T20I series.
Another notable inclusion is right-arm fast bowler Razaullah, who impressed on his Test debut against England in September. He also attracted attention with an entertaining contribution with the bat and has now been selected for both limited-overs squads despite remaining uncapped in ODIs and T20Is.
Babar Included, Rizwan Missing from Both Squads
Pakistan have made fewer changes to their ODI setup, with Shaheen Shah Afridi retaining the captaincy for the tri-series against Sri Lanka and England.
Former captain Babar Azam has been named in the ODI squad, while Mohammad Rizwan has been left out of both the T20I and ODI selections amid an investigation and legal proceedings involving the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency.
Rizwan’s absence leaves Muhammad Ghazi Ghori as Pakistan’s first-choice wicketkeeper in the ODI format. Ghori, who made his Test debut against England at Edgbaston, has already featured in four ODIs.
Khawaja Nafay is the only specialist wicketkeeper named in the T20I squad.
Shaun Tait Returns as Pakistan Bowling Coach
Pakistan have also brought back former Australia fast bowler Shaun Tait as their bowling coach for the upcoming T20I series and ODI tri-series.
Tait previously held the position for a year from February 2022 before moving on to work with Bangladesh as their fast-bowling coach. His 12-month stint there coincided with a series of encouraging performances from Bangladesh’s pace attack, including a 2-0 Test series victory over Pakistan.
Bangladesh also secured ODI and T20I series wins under Tait’s tenure. He stepped down in June, while Pakistan have now appointed him to replace Ashley Noffke, who left the role to become head coach of the Netherlands.
Tait’s return is expected to be an important part of Pakistan’s efforts to strengthen their pace-bowling resources across formats.
Pakistan’s 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 and Sufiyan Moqim.
Pakistan’s ODI Squad for Sri Lanka-England 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 and Sufiyan Moqim.
Pakistan’s three-match T20I series against Sri Lanka began on Friday, October 9, in Rawalpindi. The ODI tri-series featuring Pakistan, Sri Lanka and England is scheduled to begin on October 18, with Pakistan facing Sri Lanka in the opening match.