Pakistan’s white-ball setup is set for a major overhaul ahead of the home series against Sri Lanka, with two important players reportedly dropped from the T20 squad.
According to sources, T20 captain Salman Ali Agha is set to lose the captaincy and has also been dropped from the T20 squad. After being left out of the Test side, Salman is now expected to feature only in Pakistan’s ODI squad.
In a bigger shock, star fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi is also reportedly set to be excluded from the T20 squad. The development comes after Haris Rauf was also dropped from the T20 setup. Shaheen, however, is expected to retain the ODI captaincy and continue leading Pakistan in the 50-over format. Salman Ali Agha had captained Pakistan in 50 T20I matches with 31 wins, including leading the side to the Asia Cup 2025 final.
His reported sacking comes after Pakistan’s recent poor run. Sources said Sahibzada Farhan and Shadab Khan are currently the leading candidates for the T20 captaincy. Farhan is already captaining Pakistan’s T20I squad at the Asian Games in Japan, giving him an edge in the race. Meanwhile, Babar Azam is expected to remain part of both T20 and ODI squads despite the leadership changes.
Pakistan’s immediate assignment will be a three-match T20I series against Sri Lanka in Rawalpindi. The matches are scheduled for October 9, 11 and 13. It will be followed by a three-nation ODI tournament involving Pakistan, England and Sri Lanka from October 18 to 31 in Rawalpindi and Lahore. The PCB is expected to finalize and announce the new squad and leadership structure in the next 24 hours.
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