Sahibzada Farhan Named Pakistan T20I Captain as PCB Announces Squads
Sports Correspondent: Imran Sohail
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has appointed top-order batter Sahibzada Farhan as Pakistan’s new T20I captain, replacing Agha Salman ahead of the home series against Sri Lanka.
The PCB has also announced Pakistan’s squads for the three-match T20I series and the upcoming ODI tri-series featuring Sri Lanka and England.
Agha Salman has been left out of the T20I squad but remains part of the ODI team. Other players omitted from the T20I squad that represented Pakistan at the T20 World Cup earlier this year include Babar Azam, Mohammad Nawaz, Usman Tariq, Faheem Ashraf and Shaheen Shah Afridi.
Arafat Minhas, Imran Randhawa, Maaz Sadaqat, Hasan Nawaz, Naseem Shah and Razaullah have been added to the T20I setup.
Farhan recently led Pakistan at the 20th Asian Games in Japan, where the team won the silver medal. He will now take charge of the national side for the upcoming T20I assignment.
Shaheen Shah Afridi will continue as Pakistan’s ODI captain. The ODI squad includes Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Hasan Nawaz, Razaullah and wicketkeeper Saad Baig.
Several players from Pakistan’s previous ODI squad have been left out, including Maaz Sadaqat, Ahmed Daniyal, Abdul Samad, Sahibzada Farhan, Shamyl Hussain and Rohail Nazir.
Razaullah, who recently impressed on his Test debut against England, is also in line to make his ODI debut. Fakhar Zaman returns to the ODI setup after missing the previous assignment due to fitness concerns.
The three-match T20I series against Sri Lanka will be played at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. The first match is scheduled for October 9, followed by the second on October 11 and the third on October 13.
Pakistan will then take part in a seven-match ODI tri-series against Sri Lanka and England. The opening three matches will be played in Rawalpindi, while the remaining league fixtures and the final will be held in Lahore.
A group of Sri Lankan players and team officials has already arrived in Islamabad, with additional members expected to reach Pakistan in the following days.
Pakistan have a strong overall record against Sri Lanka in T20I cricket, winning 18 of their 31 meetings, while Sri Lanka have won 13.
However, Sri Lanka recorded a 3-0 victory over Pakistan during their previous three-match T20I series in Pakistan in October 2019.
Sri Lanka have also faced difficult results in recent bilateral series. They lost 2-1 to the West Indies in June and were subsequently beaten 3-0 by England in England.
For Pakistan, the upcoming series will be their first T20I assignment since the T20 World Cup held earlier this year. Their previous home T20I series saw them defeat Australia 3-0.
Pakistan T20I Squad
Sahibzada Farhan (captain), Abdul Samad, Abrar Ahmed, Arafat Minhas, Fakhar Zaman, Hasan Nawaz, Muhammad Imran Randhawa, Khawaja Nafay (wicketkeeper), Maaz Sadaqat, Naseem Shah, Razaullah, Saim Ayub, Mohammad Salman Mirza, Shadab Khan and Sufiyan Moqim.
Pakistan ODI Squad
Shaheen Shah Afridi (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Salman Ali Agha, Arafat Minhas, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Muhammad Ghazi Ghori (wicketkeeper), Haris Rauf, Hasan Nawaz, Naseem Shah, Razaullah, Saad Baig (wicketkeeper), Saim Ayub, Shadab Khan and Sufiyan Moqim.
Pakistan Team Management
Naveed Akram Cheema will serve as team manager, with Mike Hesson as head coach. Shaun Tait will oversee bowling, while Michael Smith will work as batting coach and Mansoor Amjad as fielding coach.
Muhammad Tahir is the physiotherapist, while Grant Luden is responsible for strength and conditioning. Nabeel Edger Pace will work as the team analyst for the Sri Lanka T20I series, with Usman Hashmi serving as analyst for the ODI tri-series.
Shafqat Shabbir will handle media duties during the Rawalpindi leg, while Syed Nazir Ahmed will oversee media responsibilities in Lahore.
Col. Usman Anwari is the security manager, Dr. Wajid Ali Rafai is the team doctor, and Muhammad Ehsan will serve as masseur.
