Pakistan on Sunday announced a 15-member squad for the upcoming 2026 T20 World Cup to be held in India and Sri Lanka just a day after Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi cast doubt over the team’s participation in the tournament. However, the announcement is no guarantee of participation, with Aaqib Javed, the former fast bowler who is the PCB Director High Performance and member men’s national selection committee reiterating that they will wait for the Pakistan government’s decision in the matter.
“We are selectors and our job is to select the team. We havent announced it too far in advance, (January) 30th was the deadline. The government has to decide, there is nothing I can say about that. The chairman has said that the government will decide so definitely we will wait for their decision,” said Javed in a press conference along side head coach Mike Hesson and captain Salman Ali Agha.
Naqvi had said that the Pakistan government will decide if the PCB is to send the team for the T20 World Cup or not after the International Cricket Council (ICC) decide to drop Bangladesh from the tournament due to the latter’s refusal to travel to India. Bangladesh were to play all their group stage matches in India. Pakistan, on the other hand, are set to play all their matches in the T20 World Cup in Sri Lanka. This is in line with the hybrid model that had been agreed upon with the ICC in cases when Pakistan or India are hosting tournaments.
The ICC in turn could slap heavy sanctions on Pakistan if they do pull out of the tournament, including suspension of all bilateral series, denial of No Objection Certificates (NOCs) for foreign players in the Pakistan Super League (PSL), and exclusion from the Asia Cup.
Babar in, Rauf out
Babar Azam has been included in the squad while fast bowler Haris Rauf has been left out. Former captain Babar has been included in the squad despite coming into it after a dismal campaign in his debut season in the Big Bash League. Babar scored 202 runs for the Sydney Sixers in 11 innings at a strike rate of just 103.06 and average of 22.44. Head coach Mike Hesson, however, said in a press conference alongside senior selector Aaqib Javed and Agha that Babar will not be opening the batting for Pakistan, which is the role he had played in for the Sixers. Rauf, on other other hand, is currently the leading wicket-taker in the BBL.
Pakistan face Australia in a three-match T20I series at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore on January 29, 31 and February 1 in the run up to the tournament. The PCB said in its statement that the preparatory camp for the series starts on Sunday.
Pakistan 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) and Usman Tariq.