Shadab Khan returns to Pakistan's T20I squad for SL series
What's the story
Pakistan have announced their squad for the upcoming three-match T20I series against Sri Lanka, starting January 7. The team sees the return of all-rounder Shadab Khan, who was out since June due to shoulder surgery. He made his competitive comeback in the Big Bash League (BBL) this month and performed better than his other country-mates. Notably, this series will be Pakistan's last T20 assignment before the 2026 ICC T20 World Cup.
Player retention
Babar Azam and Shaheen Afridi to continue in BBL
Ace batter Babar Azam and pacer Shaheen Afridi will continue their stints in the BBL as they have not been named in the squad. Other Pakistan players in the BBL, including Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, and Muhammad Rizwan, have also not been called up for the series. They had earlier given their consent to return from Australia if needed by selectors.
Board decision
PCB's assurance to Cricket Australia
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had assured Cricket Australia that all signed players would be available for the season. This is why the board decided to stick with its current bench strength for the Sri Lanka series. The squad, led by Salman Ali Agha, includes uncapped batter Khawaja Nafay and Abdul Samad who has been recalled.
Information
Call-up for Khawaja Nafay
The national selectors have handed a maiden T20I call-up to the uncapped Khawaja Nafay, who has scored 688 runs in 32 T20s, at a strike rate of 132.81. The right-handed batter impressed for Quetta Gladiators in this year's Pakistan Super League.
Squad composition
Nafay's selection and senior players' preference
Nafay's selection comes as a surprise given his lack of performance even in domestic cricket. However, senior players had told the board they wanted to play in this series as it would be a good opportunity to adjust to conditions there. Pakistan will play all their World Cup matches in Sri Lanka and this series is seen as a preparation for that.
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Pakistan's squad for Sri Lanka T20Is
Squad: Salman Ali Agha (c), 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, Usman Tariq.