Salman Ali Agha sacked as Pakistan T20I captain

Pakistan cricket has undergone another major change in leadership, with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) appointing opening batter Sahibzada Farhan as the new captain of the national T20I side. Farhan replaces Salman Ali Agha, who has not only been removed from the captaincy but also dropped from the squad for the upcoming T20I series against Sri Lanka.

Pakistan squads announced for the three-match Sri Lanka T20I series and ODI tri-series featuring Sri Lanka and England #PAKvSL | #PAKvENG | #BackTheBoysInGreen pic.twitter.com/c8rT4BVr0S

— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) October 5, 2026

The decision comes after Pakistan endured disappointing campaigns in recent major tournaments under Agha’s leadership. The Green Shirts failed to make a significant impact in both the Asia Cup and the 2026 T20 World Cup, prompting the PCB to make sweeping changes to the T20I setup.

Farhan arrives in the role after an impressive run of form and leadership. He recently captained Pakistan at the 2026 Asian Games, guiding the team to the silver medal after they lost the gold-medal match to India. He was also the leading run-scorer at the 2026 T20 World Cup, strengthening his credentials as Pakistan’s new T20I leader.

Shaheen Shah Afridi, meanwhile, will continue as Pakistan’s ODI captain despite being left out of the T20I squad. Babar Azam and Haris Rauf have also been omitted from the T20I team, although all three players remain part of the ODI squad for the upcoming tri-series involving England and Sri Lanka.

Wicketkeeper-batter Usman Khan has also been dropped from the T20I setup following an underwhelming performance behind the stumps in the Asian Games final. Spinner Usman Tariq has been omitted as well.

Razaullah included

One of the notable additions is Razaullah, who earned his maiden white-ball call-up after making a strong impression in the third Test against England, where he smashed nine sixes. Mohammad Imran Randhawa has also received his first T20I call-up, while Saad Baig has been included in the ODI squad.

The three-match T20I series against Sri Lanka will be played at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on October 9, 11 and 13. Pakistan will then take part in a seven-match ODI tri-series featuring England and Sri Lanka. Rawalpindi will host the opening three matches, while the remaining league fixtures and the final will be played in Lahore.

T20I squad: Sahibzada Farhan (captain), Abdul Samad, Abrar Ahmed, Arafat Minhas, Fakhar Zaman, Hasan Nawaz, Khawaja Nafay (wk), Maaz Sadaqat, Mohammad Salman Mirza, Muhammad Imran Randhawa, Naseem Shah, Razaullah, Saim Ayub, Shadab Khan and Sufiyan Moqim

ODI squad: Shaheen Shah Afridi (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Arafat Minhas, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Nawaz, Muhammad Ghazi Ghori (wk), Naseem Shah, Razaullah, Saad Baig (wk), Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Shadab Khan and Sufiyan Moqim

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