Pakistan Appoints Sahibzada Farhan as New T20 Captain Ahead of Sri Lanka Series

In a major shake-up, Pakistan has appointed Sahibzada Farhan as the new captain of the T20 cricket team, replacing Salman Ali Agha ahead of the series against Sri Lanka. Farhan's leadership follows a successful run at the Asian Games, where he led the team to a silver medal. The squad also sees the return of key players like Hasan Nawaz and Naseem Shah. Additionally, Shaun Tait has been named the new bowling coach after his tenure with Bangladesh. The T20 matches are set to take place in Rawalpindi from October 9-13, with a tri-series following shortly after.

By Narendra Chaudhary Oct 6, 2026, 12:05 IST

Leadership Change in Pakistan's T20 Team

In a significant shift, Pakistan has removed Salman Ali Agha from his role as the captain of the Twenty20 cricket team, appointing Sahibzada Farhan to lead the squad for the upcoming three-match home series against Sri Lanka this week.

Farhan recently guided Pakistan to a silver medal at the Asian Games, where they faced India in the final match on Sunday.

The T20 squad sees the return of batter Hasan Nawaz and fast bowler Naseem Shah.

Nawaz, who had not been selected since November, made a notable impact in the Asian Games final, scoring 96 runs before being dismissed on the last ball, contributing to Pakistan's 19-run defeat.

Naseem Shah last participated in T20 matches during the T20 World Cup in February and has also been included in the one-day international squad for the upcoming tri-series against Sri Lanka and England.

Emerging talent Razaullah has been recognized for his impressive test debut performance against England last month in Birmingham, earning a spot in both the T20 and ODI squads, although he is yet to make his debut in white-ball cricket.

Shaheen Afridi has been retained as the ODI captain, leading a team that includes Agha and Babar Azam.

However, Mohammad Rizwan has been left out of the selection due to an ongoing investigation by the National Cyber Crime Investigation Authority.

Rizwan was among seven players who were called back home following Pakistan's loss in the second Test against England at Lord's in August.

For the T20 matches, Khawaja Nafay will serve as the specialist wicketkeeper, while Ghazi Ghori, who debuted in tests in England, will be the primary wicketkeeper for the ODIs.

The three T20 matches against Sri Lanka are scheduled to take place in Rawalpindi from October 9 to 13, with the tri-series commencing on October 18.

Shaun Tait Returns as Bowling Coach

In another development, former Australian fast bowler Shaun Tait has been appointed as Pakistan's bowling coach after his stint with the Bangladesh team, where he helped them secure a 2-0 victory over Pakistan in a recent test series.

Tait takes over from Ashley Noffke, who has been contracted by the Netherlands.