The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Sunday announced a 15-member squad for next month’s ICC T20 World Cup, co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka. Express pacer Haris Rauf was left out, while former captains Babar Azam and Shaheen Shah Afridi were included.
The squad was unveiled at a press conference at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. PCB High Performance Director and national selection committee member Aqib Javed made the announcement alongside captain Salman Ali Agha and white-ball head coach Michael James Hesson.
Rauf recently took 20 wickets in Australia’s Big Bash League (BBL). However, Javed said the pacer did not fit the team combination.
“Rauf has played a lot of cricket for Pakistan, but we kept conditions in Sri Lanka in mind while selecting the squad,” Javed said.
Rauf remains Pakistan’s highest wicket-taker in T20 internationals, with 133 wickets in 94 matches.
According to the PCB, Salman, Faheem Ashraf, Khawaja Mohammad Nafay, Mohammad Salman Mirza, Sahibzada Farhan and Usman Tariq have received their first call-ups for a major event.
The board added that Abrar Ahmed, Babar, Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Nawaz, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Shaheen, Shadab Khan and Usman Khan have featured in at least one edition of the tournament since 2021.
The 20-team competition will run from February 7 to March 8. Each side will play four group matches before the Super Eight and knockout stages.
Pakistan will also host Australia for a three-match T20I series at Gaddafi Stadium on January 29, 31 and February 1. The PCB said the preparation camp begins today.
Babar and Shaheen were also selected for the Australia series after being dropped from last month’s T20I series against Sri Lanka.
Responding to questions over Babar’s selection despite criticism about his form, Javed described him as “the most consistent batsman”.
Earlier this month, Babar said he would miss the remainder of the BBL after being recalled for the national camp ahead of the Australia series.
Asked whether Pakistan would benefit from playing all World Cup matches in Sri Lanka, Salman acknowledged the advantage. However, he said results would depend on performance.
“India won because they played good cricket. If we do the same, we will win as well,” Salman said.
India had refused to travel to Pakistan for the 2025 Champions Trophy, prompting a hybrid model under which India played all matches in Dubai.
Under a similar arrangement, Pakistan are set to play all their matches in Sri Lanka at the upcoming T20 World Cup. However, PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi said on Saturday that Pakistan’s participation was still not confirmed.
Salman also admitted Pakistan had underperformed in the last three tournaments.
“When you play a world cup, it is always going to be tough,” he said. “You can not stay relaxed in any situation. It will be challenging, and we are both ready and excited for it.”
When asked why Muhammad Rizwan was not selected despite greater experience in Sri Lanka, Javed said the decision was based on the team’s batting balance. He said both the coach and captain believed Babar could play a key role and help create a more competitive batting line-up.
“You have to look at who fits better in the squad and which player can make the team better,” he added, calling the comparison “illogical”.
Hesson defended the selection of Khawaja Nafay and Usman Khan as wicketkeeping options. He said Usman had been “exceptional” since returning to the squad and that his wicketkeeping had exceeded expectations.
On Nafay’s inclusion, Hesson said the team considered Sahibzada Farhan as a backup wicketkeeper. However, he said Farhan became vulnerable to injury due to the additional workload and the team did not want to take that risk.
He described Farhan as a “big player” and said the situation led to Nafay’s inclusion as a power-hitting option.
“We are very comfortable with the two keeping options we have,” Hesson said.
Salman rejected suggestions that Babar’s form was a major concern. He said the batter’s BBL struggles came in different conditions and added that Babar had performed well since his return.
“All that matters to me is that he performs well for Pakistan,” Salman said.
Discussing the batting approach, Salman said the order beyond the openers would depend on match situations.
“In T20, other than openers, you have no idea what situation you will find yourself in,” he said.
Javed said the World Cup squad reflected continuity from the last three to four series. He added that selectors always consider conditions and can make adjustments if required.
Hesson said Rauf’s omission came after the team decided to take three specialist seamers to Sri Lanka. He said Waseem Junior, Ahmed Daniyal and Rauf were all considered, but there was no available spot.
He said the selected seamers — Shaheen Shah Afridi, Mohammad Salman Mirza and Naseem Shah — could bowl in all three phases of the innings. He added that Pakistan had previously taken an extra seamer due to conditions, but did not adopt that approach this time.
Explaining Babar’s role, Hesson said the team envisioned a different role for him compared to what he played in the BBL. He said Babar offered additional skills and was selected to complement the rest of the squad.
“We know what a world-class player he is and how flexible he can be, depending on what the team requires,” he said.
On the possibility of Pakistan boycotting the tournament, Javed said the selection committee’s role was limited to naming the squad.
“Ultimately, it is up to the government to decide, and we will wait for their decision,” he said.
Pakistan’s T20 World Cup squad includes following 15 players;
Salman Ali Agha (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Khawaja Mohammad Nafay (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Salman Mirza, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan (wk), Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shadab Khan, Usman Khan (wk) and Usman Tariq.