T20 WC: Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi in Pakistan's preliminary squad
What's the story
Pakistan have submitted their provisional squad to the International Cricket Council (ICC) for the 2026 T20 World Cup. The squad includes star batter Babar Azam and seamer Shaheen Afridi. However, Mohammad Rizwan, a marquee batter, has been left out. The final squad will be confirmed after a three-match T20I series against Sri Lanka starting January 7. Here are further details.
Selection process
Coach Mike Hesson to finalize squad
The preliminary squad was submitted ahead of the ICC's January 1 deadline. Now, head coach Mike Hesson has the authority to finalize the team by trimming it down to 15 players and travel reserves. The tournament is set to kick off on February 7, with Pakistan's matches to be played in Sri Lanka due to political tensions with India.
Takeaways
Key takeaways from the squad
Babar's inclusion in the T20 World Cup comes after his impressive performance in the Big Bash League (BBL). He scored 129 runs at an average of over 32.25 in five innings. Shaheen Afridi, being their strike bowler, was picked despite leaking runs in the BBL. Meanwhile, Rizwan's exclusion from the squad has raised eyebrows. According to the PCB sources, Hesson is eyeing an aggressive T20 setup, which led to Usman Khan's inclusion as his preferred wicketkeeper-batter.
Squad
Squad for SL series
While Pakistan's final T20 World Cup squad will be announced later, they have named a roster for the impending Sri Lanka series. The three-match series will be played in Sri Lanka this month. Squad: Salman Ali Agha (captain), Abdul Samad, Abrar Ahmad, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Khawaja Nafay, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Salman Mirza, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Shadab Khan, Usman Khan, and Usman Tariq.