Lahore, Jan 23 (IANS) The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced its 16-member squad for the three-match T20I series against Australia on Friday, which will commence on January 29 at Gaddafi Stadium. All-rounder Salman Ali Agha will continue to lead the team in the important bilateral series ahead of the upcoming T20 World Cup 2026, which will start on February 7.
Former captains Babar Azam and Shaheen Shah Afridi have returned to the T20I squad after missing the three-match away series against Sri Lanka in January.
Babar was struggling for runs in the ongoing BBL season. He scored just 202 runs in 11 games. His low strike rate of 103.06 was an area of concern for the team. He left his franchise before the playoffs to join his national side. He hopes to turn his fortunes playing at home.
Pakistan boasts a strong batting lineup, which includes the likes of Fakhar Zaman, Saim Ayub, and Sahibzada Farhan, who are in good form. While wicketkeeper-batter Mohammed Rizwan has again been overlooked, his T20I future remains uncertain.
Shadab Khan will continue to build on his comeback in the previous T20I series and will form part of a strong spin-bowling contingent along with Abrar Ahmed, Mohammad Nawaz, and Usman Tariq. While Shaheen, Naseem Shah, and Mohammad Wasim Junior will lead the fast bowling attack.
Pakistan’s premier T20I bowler, Harris Rauf, is also missing from the squad. Rauf has performed well in the ongoing Big Bash League. He has taken 20 wickets in just 11 matches and is also the leading wicket-taker of the current season.
Pakistan squad:
Salman Ali Agha (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Khawaja Mohammad Nafay (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Salman Mirza, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan (wk), Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shadab Khan, Usman Khan (wk), and Usman Tariq.
Pakistan will start their campaign in the T20 WC on February 7 against the Netherlands. The team will play all its group stage matches in Colombo.
–IANS
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