The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced a 15-member national squad for the upcoming T20 series against Sri Lanka. Salman Ali Agha will captain the side, while wicketkeeper-batsman Khawaja Nafees has been included in the T20 squad for the first time. Shadab Khan returns to the squad following shoulder surgery.
Notably, Babar Azam and Shaheen Afridi are not part of the T20 squad, and Haris Rauf has again been overlooked.
The squad for the three-match series includes: Salman Ali Agha, Abdus Samad, Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Khawaja Muhammad Nafees, and Muhammad Nawaz. In addition, Muhammad Salman Mirza, Mohammad Wasim Jr., Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Shadab Khan, Usman Khan, and Usman Tariq complete the team.
The Pakistani team is scheduled to depart for Sri Lanka on January 4 and 5, 2026. The three T20 internationals will be played in Dambulla on January 7, 9, and 11. The series will serve as an opportunity to assess players ahead of the World Cup squad selection.
The PCB also announced the team management: Naveed Akram Cheema will serve as team manager, Mike Hesson as white-ball head coach, Ashley Noffke as bowling coach, Mohammad Hanif Malik as batting coach, and Shane McDermott as fielding coach. Cliff Deacon will be the physiotherapist, Grant Loudon the strength and conditioning coach, Talha Ijaz the team analyst, and Syed Naeem Ahmed the media manager.
