LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Sunday announced a 15-member squad for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, which gets underway on February 7, with Salman Ali Agha set to make his maiden appearance at the mega event as captain.
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Fast bowler Haris Rauf and wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan have been left out of the squad, despite featuring in the last three editions of the tournament. Rauf last represented Pakistan in T20Is in September last year, while Rizwan misses his first T20 World Cup after appearances in 2021, 2022 and 2024.
The squad was unveiled at a press conference at Gaddafi Stadium, addressed by PCB Director High Performance and national selection committee member Aqib Javed, T20I captain Salman Ali Agha, and white-ball head coach Michael Hesson.
Alongside skipper Agha, Faheem Ashraf, Khawaja Mohammad Nafay, Mohammad Salman Mirza and Usman Tariq have earned their maiden World Cup call-ups. Meanwhile, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Nawaz, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shadab Khan and Usman Khan have all featured in one or more editions since 2021.
Explaining Haris Rauf’s omission, Aqib Javed said the pacer had served Pakistan for a long time but the selectors opted for a different combination, keeping Sri Lankan conditions in mind, where Pakistan will play all their matches.
On Babar Azam’s inclusion, Javed described him as the team’s most consistent batter, adding that he has a specific role, particularly in challenging conditions.
Addressing Rizwan’s exclusion, head coach Michael Hesson said the management was looking for a wicketkeeper who could bat in the middle or lower-middle order. “Rizwan is a top-order batter, and there is no spot in that role for a wicketkeeper,” he said.
Hesson also praised Usman Khan, calling his recent performances exceptional and highlighting his improved wicketkeeping, especially during matches in Sri Lanka.
Under the ICC’s ‘Fusion Formula’, Pakistan and India will not tour each other for ICC events over the next three years and will instead play at neutral venues. As a result, Pakistan will contest all their matches in Sri Lanka. If they qualify for the semi-finals and final, those matches will be staged in Colombo; otherwise, the knockouts will be held in Kolkata and Ahmedabad.
Pakistan will open their campaign against the Netherlands on February 7 in Colombo. Placed in Group A alongside India, the USA, the Netherlands and Namibia, Pakistan will face the USA on February 10, arch-rivals India on February 15, and Namibia on February 18.
The Super Eight stage begins on February 21 in Colombo and concludes on March 1 in Kolkata. The semi-finals are scheduled for March 3 and March 5, while the final will take place on March 8 in either Ahmedabad or Colombo.
Pakistan Squad:
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 (wk), Usman Tariq
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