Pakistan announces 15-member squad for T20I World Cup

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Sunday announced a 15-member squad for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup (WC) 2026, scheduled to be held in India and Sri Lanka from February 7 to March 8, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.

Addressing a news conference in Lahore, T20 captain Salman Agha, member Selection Committee Aqib Javed and the team’s head coach Michael James Hesson said that members of the squad were Salman Ali Agha (captain), Shaheen Afridi, Shadab Khan, Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Muhammad Nawaz, Abrar Ahmad, Naseem Shah, Faheem Ashraf, Khawaja Nafey, Salman Mirza, Sahibzada Farhan, Usman Tariq, Usman Khan and Saim Ayub.

Speaking on the occasion, skipper Salman Agha said that the team would try to come up to the expectations of the nation. “We are completely ready for the event,” he added.

Aqib Javed said that the team had made full preparations for the WC.

He said that Babar Azam played an important role depending on conditions.

In the 20-team tournament, each team is set to play four group games before the Super Eight and Knockout Stage. 

The 2009 champions will play all of their matches in Sri Lanka as per the 'Fusion Formula', which states that Pakistan or India will not visit each other for any ICC tournaments for three years and will instead play their respective matches at a neutral venue.

If Pakistan progresses to the semi-finals and final, both knockout matches will be hosted in Colombo. Otherwise, the semi-finals and final will take place in Kolkata and Ahmedabad, respectively.

It is pertinent to mention that the green shirts will kick off their World Cup campaign against the Netherlands on February 7 in Colombo.

They will then face the USA on February 10, arch-rivals India on February 15 and Namibia on February 18 in their final group-stage match.

On the other hand, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Syed Mohsin Naqvi said on Sunday that it would be the government of Pakistan which would decide whether the national team would participate in the T20 WC or not. “The Board will follow the government, not the ICC.”

He made it clear that no country could dictate terms to any other country. 

The PCB chairman said that he had all the plans A, B, C and D.

He was of the view that if Pakistan and India had been favoured, Bangladesh too should have been favoured.

AFP reported that Pakistan dropped express pacer Haris Rauf from the 15-man squad named Sunday for next month's Twenty20 World Cup to be jointly hosted by India and Sri Lanka.

The 32-year-old finished with 20 wickets in the Big Bash League in Australia but selector Aaqib Javed said Rauf doesn't fit in the combination.

"Rauf has played a lot of cricket for Pakistan but we kept conditions in Sri Lanka in mind while selecting the squad," Javed told a news conference.

Rauf is also the highest wicket-taker for Pakistan in T20I cricket with 133 in 94 matches.

Pakistan will play all their matches in Sri Lanka and will not travel to India under an agreement decided last year due to political tension between the two countries.

Pakistan have been placed in Group A with archrivals India, Namibia, Netherlands and the United States.

In the 20-team tournament, each team are set to play four group games with the top two teams qualifying for the Super Eight Stage.

Changes to T20 World Cup squads can be made for any reason until January 31 and after that with approval from the Event Technical Committee.

In the final build-up for the World Cup, Pakistan will face Australia in a three-match T20I series in Lahore on January 29, 31 and February 1.

Reporter: Hafiz Shehbaz