Pakistan Cricket Board has announced a 15- member squad for the three-match T20 International series against Sri Lanka next month. This series is crucial for Pakistan in view of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026. However, several star Pakistani players will not be part of the team for this series . Salman Ali Agha will be captain, while experienced all-rounder Shadab Khan has returned to the team.

Babar Azam out of the T20I team again

Star players like Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan , Shaheen Shah Afridi , and Haris Rauf have not been selected in the squad for the three-match T20 series against Sri Lanka. All of these players are currently busy with the Australian domestic league , the Big Bash , which will keep them away from international cricket. Babar is also one of the most expensive foreign players in this league. All three T20 matches of the series will be played in Dambulla .

The first match will be played on January 7th, the second on January 9th, and the third on January 11th. Sri Lankan pitches favor spin bowlers, so Pakistan’s new team will need to execute their strategy well here. The T20 World Cup begins in the first week of February, where Pakistan is placed in Group B along with India, Namibia , the Netherlands , and the United States.Uncapped wicketkeeper -batsman Khawaja Nafey has been named in the Pakistan squad for this series , marking his first national team appearance.

Nafey has been a consistent performer in domestic cricket, and now has a significant opportunity. This tour presents a golden opportunity for Pakistan’s young players to prove themselves. In the absence of senior players playing in the Big Bash League , the new generation will have a significant responsibility.

Pakistan squad for Sri Lanka series:

Salman Ali Agha (captain), Abdul Samad , Abrar Ahmed , Faheem Ashraf , Fakhar Zaman , Khawaja Nafe, Mohammad Nawaz , Mohammad Salman Mirza, Mohammad Wasim Jr. , Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan , Saim Ayub , Shadab Khan, Usman Khan, Usman Tariq .