3 Pakistan stars who might not play in T20 World Cup 2026

Pakistan stars who might not play in T20 WC [Source: X]

On Sunday, the Pakistan cricket team revealed their squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup, and almost all the bases were covered as a strong unit suitable for the Sri Lankan conditions was announced by the selectors. Pakistan has not won a T20 World Cup since the 2009 edition, and they’ll be eager to break that jinx.

Their World Cup squad is a great mixture of youth and experience, but with stakes high, there are some players who might not get a single game in the tournament and could potentially warm the bench. Here are 3 such Pakistan stars who might not be able to showcases their talent in the World Cup.

1) Usman Tariq

The right-arm off-break bowler was a relatively unknown commodity before the CPL 2025 season. However, once the tournament ended, he became a household name as Usman Tariq scalped 20 wickets in just 10 matches for TKR, and was economical throughout the tournament as the Pakistan selectors noticed him.

However, despite prolific performances in the T20 leagues, Tariq might not get a single game, and it has nothing to do with his performance. In the Pakistan team, Abrar Ahmed is the front-line spinner and he will play all matches, barring any injury.

The team also has Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, and Saim Ayub who can give 4 overs to Pakistan, and with four spinners already in the lineup, the team might not need a fifth spinner in the playing XI. Hence, Tariq might not get a single game if everyone is fit.

2) Naseem Shah

Naseem Shah is the second most experienced pacer in the team after Shaheen Afridi, but he might not get a single game as Pakistan, in general prefer to go with just two pacers, and one of them is Shaheen himself. Alongside him, Salman Mirza has performed exceptionally well, and his numbers are better than Naseem's in T20Is.

(Naseem vs Mirza in T20Is)

• As the stats suggest, there is just one winner, and that person is Salman Mirza. He can swing the ball both ways and has the ability to take wickets, something which Naseem lacks in T20Is.
• In 12 T20Is, Salman Mirza has 19 wickets, and his economy is less than 7. On the other hand, Naseem has just scalped 30 in 34 matches. Hence, the pacer might warm the bench, unless Mirza's form drops massively.

3) Khawaja Nafay

One of Pakistan’s brightest talents at the moment, Khawaja Nafay, impressed everyone at the youth level, and was instantly picked for the T20 World Cup as the second keeper alongside Usman Khan. When the team was announced, selectors clearly mentioned that they were impressed by Usman’s keeping abilities and his ability to finish off games.

Nafay is highly talented, but the pressure of playing a T20 World Cup game could be too much for the youngster. Moreover, the selectors are convinced with Usman as their keeper, and with the keeping duties ruled out, Nafay cannot be placed in any other position in the top 6. Hence, he might also have to sit out.

Conclusion

The Pakistan squad is filled with talent, but with a stacked team, some of the players may not get a single match to perform. Three such players have been shortlisted from the group, and while one of them could sit out due to poor numbers, the other two simply don’t get in due to the playing combination.