Pakistan confirmed their place at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup on Sunday morning in Lahore, announcing a 15-man squad for the tournament in India and Sri Lanka, with their opening match set for 7 February against the Netherlands in Colombo.
The board revealed the names at a press conference at Gaddafi Stadium. PCB Director of High Performance Aqib Javed addressed the media alongside T20I captain Salman Ali Agha and white-ball head coach Michael James Hesson, putting a firm full stop on speculation.
Pakistan backed a mix of experience and first-time ambition. Salman Ali Agha leads the side, while Faheem Ashraf, Khawaja Mohammad Nafay, Mohammad Salman Mirza, Sahibzada Farhan and Usman Tariq earned their first calls for a global event.
The core of Pakistan’s recent T20 campaigns remains intact. Players like Babar Azam, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shadab Khan and Naseem Shah bring tournament knowledge that Pakistan will lean on when pressure tightens.
The tournament features 20 teams, with each side playing four group matches before the Super Eight and knockout stages. The competition runs from 7 February to 8 March, leaving little margin for slow starts.
Pakistan also step into a short but sharp warm-up phase. A three-match T20I series against Australia at Gaddafi Stadium on 29 and 31 January and 1 February serves as their final tune-up, with the preparation camp starting immediately.
15-member squad for 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 (wk), Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shadab Khan, Usman Khan (wk), Usman Tariq.
