Pakistan’s T20I setup is bracing for a major overhaul ahead of the home series against Sri Lanka, with media reports suggesting that T20 captain Salman Ali Agha is set to lose the captaincy and his place in the squad.
According to the reports, Salman — who led Pakistan in 50 T20 internationals with 31 wins, including a run to the Asia Cup 2025 final — has already been left out of the Test side and may now feature only in the ODI squad. Star pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi is also reported to be out of the T20 plans, though he is expected to retain the ODI captaincy.
The reports add that Haris Rauf has also been dropped from the T20 setup, while Sahibzada Farhan and Shadab Khan are the leading candidates for the T20 captaincy. Farhan is currently leading Pakistan’s T20I side at the Asian Games in Japan, which is seen as strengthening his case. Babar Azam is expected to remain in both the T20I and ODI squads despite the leadership changes.
The Pakistan Cricket Board is expected to formally announce the squad and the new leadership structure within the next day or so. The three-match T20I series against Sri Lanka begins in Rawalpindi on October 9, with the remaining games on October 11 and 13.
Sri Lanka’s squad is scheduled to arrive in Islamabad on October 4. After the T20Is, England will join the two sides for a seven-match ODI tri-series from October 18 to 31 in Rawalpindi and Lahore, followed by a two-Test series in November.
Leave a Reply