Pakistan Squad for Sri Lanka Series Announced

The Pakistan squad for Sri Lanka series has been officially announced for the upcoming T20I matches. The Pakistan Cricket Board named a 15-member team for the three-match T20 series against Sri Lanka.

Salman Ali Agha will lead the national side in the series. Wicketkeeper-batter Khawaja Muhammad Nafiq earned his first call-up to the T20 squad. Shadab Khan also returned to the team after recovering from shoulder surgery.

Babar Azam and Shaheen Shah Afridi are not part of the T20 squad. The selectors also did not include Haris Rauf for this series.

The squad includes Salman Ali Agha (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Abdul Samad, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Khawaja Muhammad Nafiq, and Mohammad Nawaz. Other selected players are Mohammad Salman Mirza, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Shadab Khan, Usman Khan, and Usman Tariq.

Pakistan will travel to Sri Lanka in phases on January 4 and 5, 2026. The three T20 International matches will take place on January 7, 9, and 11 in Dambulla. The series will help the selectors finalize the squad for the upcoming World Cup.

The PCB also announced the team management for the tour. Naveed Akram Cheema will serve as team manager. Mike Hesson will act as head coach for white-ball cricket. Ashley Noffke will handle bowling duties, while Mohammad Hanif Malik will work as batting coach. Shane McDermott will oversee fielding.

Cliff Deacon will join as physiotherapist, Grant Luden as strength and conditioning coach, Talha Ijaz as team analyst, and Syed Naeem Ahmed as media manager.

The Pakistan squad for Sri Lanka series marks an important step in preparations for future international events.