Pakistan name Sahibzada Farhan captain for Sri Lanka T20Is, leave Salman Ali Agha out

Pakistan have named Sahibzada Farhan captain for their three-match home T20I series against Sri Lanka, replacing Salman Ali Agha, who is not in the 15-player squad. The Pakistan Cricket Board confirmed Farhan’s appointment and the squad on October 5; reports described the move as a change from Agha’s captaincy. The board did not give a reason for leaving Agha out or say whether Farhan’s appointment extends beyond this series.

Who is in Pakistan’s T20I squad?

The official squad is 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.

Farhan is a right-handed opening batter who recently captained Pakistan at the Asian Games. His selection gives the side a leader already familiar with the role, but this will be a different assignment: a full T20I series with a squad that includes established internationals and players seeking a place in Pakistan’s next short-format combination.

The omissions are as significant as the appointment. Babar Azam and Shaheen Shah Afridi are not in the T20I squad, although both are named for the ODI tri-series that follows. Agha is also in that ODI squad. None of those absences from the Sri Lanka T20Is should be read as an exit from Pakistan’s plans in every format.

What does the captaincy change mean?

The immediate change is to Pakistan’s T20I leadership and batting options, not its ODI leadership. Agha captained Pakistan at the 2026 Men’s T20 World Cup and was in that tournament’s squad alongside Farhan. For the Sri Lanka series, Farhan moves from squad member to captain while Agha loses his place in the 15. That leaves Pakistan to choose a playing XI and batting order without its previous T20I skipper.

The selection also gives the team room to assess a different mix. Fakhar Zaman and Saim Ayub are available alongside Farhan among the batting options, while Hasan Nawaz, Abdul Samad and Maaz Sadaqat add further choices. Khawaja Nafay is the player identified as wicketkeeper in the board’s squad announcement. In the bowling group, Naseem Shah and Mohammad Salman Mirza are joined by Muhammad Imran Randhawa and Razaullah, with Abrar Ahmed and Sufiyan Moqim among the spin options. Shadab Khan and Arafat Minhas offer additional flexibility.

Those names show the choices available, not a confirmed first XI or a stated long-term strategy. The board’s announcement did not explain individual omissions, assign Farhan a permanent term as captain or set out a plan for the 2028 T20 World Cup. The three matches will be the first opportunity to see how he uses this particular squad.

Pakistan’s 16-player ODI squad has a separate captain: Shaheen will continue to lead it in the tri-series against Sri Lanka and England. Babar and Agha are both included, as is Razaullah, who has been selected for both assignments. Farhan, despite captaining the T20I side, is not in the announced ODI squad. The two selections therefore draw a clear distinction between Pakistan’s plans for the formats rather than marking one blanket reshuffle.

All three Sri Lanka T20Is are scheduled for Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, on October 9, 11 and 13. Pakistan then begin the ODI tri-series against Sri Lanka in Rawalpindi on October 18. For now, Farhan’s confirmed brief is the three T20Is; any decision about the captaincy beyond them has not been announced.