Pakistan have named Babar Azam, Shadab Khan and Naseem Shah in their 15-member squad for the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, marking notable changes from the side that featured in last year’s Asia Cup.
Fast bowlers Haris Rauf and Mohammad Wasim Jr have been omitted from the squad, along with Hasan Ali, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Haris and Sufiyan Muqeem, as Pakistan opt for a refreshed combination ahead of the global tournament.
Salman Ali Agha continues as captain after leading the team during the Asia Cup, with several players retaining their places. Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Nawaz, Saim Ayub and Shaheen Shah Afridi have all been backed once again by the selectors.
While Babar Azam returns to Pakistan’s T20 setup, Mohammad Rizwan remains absent, having also missed out on selection for the Asia Cup last year.
The squad also features a number of first-time World Cup call-ups, with Salman Ali Agha, Faheem Ashraf, Khawaja Mohammad Nafay, Mohammad Salman Mirza, Sahibzada Farhan and Usman Tariq set to experience a global ICC event for the first time.
Pakistan will begin their T20 World Cup campaign against the Netherlands on February 7 in Colombo, and will play a three-match home T20I series against Australia as part of their preparation for the tournament.
Pakistan squad for 2026 T20 World Cup
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, Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shadab Khan, Usman Khan (wk), Usman Tariq
