Sahibzada Farhan named Pakistan captain for Sri Lanka T20Is, Babar Azam left out

Sahibzada Farhan has been named Pakistan’s T20I captain for the three-match home series against Sri Lanka, replacing Salman Ali Agha, who is not even part of the T20I squad. Babar Azam was also left out of the shortest format side, while Razaullah earned his first white-ball call-up after impressing on his Test debut in England.

The Pakistan Cricket Board announced the squads on Monday, with Sahibzada Farhan set to lead the side in three T20Is at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on October 9, 11 and 13. Shaheen Shah Afridi was retained as captain for the ODI tri-series involving England and Sri Lanka.

Farhan’s appointment comes soon after he led Pakistan at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games. The 30-year-old opener led the team to a silver medal, with Pakistan losing to India in the men’s T20 final. He has already been given the leadership responsibility for the continental event and has now been promoted to the captaincy of the senior T20I team.

Naseem Shah returns to the Pakistan T20I side after last playing in the T20 World Cup in February. Recovering from a knee injury, he rebuilt his bowling load through domestic cricket and the CPL and was also selected for the ODI tri-series. The series will also mark the return of Shaun Tait as Pakistan’s bowling coach after previously holding the role for a year from February 2022.

BABAR AZAM, SHAHEEN AFRIDI MISSING

Babar Azam and Shaheen Shah Afridi have both been left out of Pakistan’s T20I squad for the three-match series against Sri Lanka. However, Babar remains part of the ODI squad for the tri-series.

The decision comes after a tough T20 World Cup campaign with the bat. Babar scored 15 against the Netherlands, 46 against the USA, 5 against India and 25 against England, finishing with 91 runs in four innings. Subsequently, he was not part of Pakistan’s run in the later stages, while Farhan emerged as one of the team’s leading performers.

Babar is also struggling in domestic cricket. After returning to Pakistan’s first-class setup for the first time in almost seven years, he managed just 12 and four in his first match for Oil and Gas Development Company Limited against Khan Research Laboratories. He then scored 21 against State Bank of Pakistan, leaving him with just 37 runs in his first three innings of the President’s Trophy.

Meanwhile, Shaheen endured a tough T20 World Cup with the ball. He took eight wickets in five matches but conceded 179 runs from 17 overs and finished with an economy rate of 10.53.

RAZAULLAH WINS THE WHITE BALL REWARD

Meanwhile, Razaullah was rewarded for an impressive introduction to international cricket. The 21-year-old made his Test debut against England at Edgbaston in September and produced an eye-catching performance, scoring 81 in Pakistan’s second innings while taking wickets with the ball.

His efforts have now earned him a call-up to the T20I and ODI squads. Razaullah is part of the 15-member T20I squad and 16-member ODI squad for the tri-series.

Pakistan’s T20I squad also includes Fakhar Zaman, Saim Ayub, Shadab Khan, Abrar Ahmed, Arafat Minhas, Hasan Nawaz and Sufiyan Moqim. The Sri Lanka series will be followed by a seven-match ODI tri-series where Pakistan, England and Sri Lanka will play across Rawalpindi and Lahore.

Saim Ayub, Abrar Ahmed, Shadab Khan, Arafat Minhas, Hasan Nawaz, Naseem Shah, Sufiyan Moqim, Fakhar Zaman and Razaullah were selected for both teams.

Pakistan squad for T20I series against Sri Lanka

Sahibzada Farhan (capt), Abdul Samad, Abrar Ahmed, Arafat Minhas, Fakhar Zaman, Hasan Nawaz, Muhammad Imran Randhawa, Khawaja Nafay (wk), Maaz Sadaqat, Naseem Shah, Razaullah, Saim Ayub, Mohammad Salman K Mirza and Su Shadab

Pakistan squad for ODI tri-series against Sri Lanka

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

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