Pakistan T20 World Cup 2026 SWOT analysis: Can Salman Agha power Men in Green to title?

Pakistan SWOT analysis [Source: AFP Photo]

ICC T20 World Cup is just around the corner, and once again, Pakistan will enter the tournament with the dark horse tag as the side aims to claim their second T20 World Cup title. The Men in Green had a topsy-turvy 2025, winning several T20I series, but also losing the Asia Cup final against India.

The team has a great mixture of youth and experience, and they are also oozing with confidence after beating Australia back-to-back in the T20I games. With the team placed in a tricky group and a chance to win another World Cup, let us deep dive into Pakistan’s strengths and weaknesses for the upcoming tournament.

Pakistan squad for T20 World Cup 2026

Salman Ali Agha (c), Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Khawaja Mohammad Nafay, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Salman Mirza, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shadab Khan, Usman Khan, Usman Tariq

Strengths of Pakistan

Excellent spin department

• Pakistan will play all its matches in Sri Lanka and the conditions there will favour the spinners, and the Men in Green have a plethora of them. In Abrar Ahmed, Pakistan has one of the best spin bowlers at the moment, and alongside him, the team has the mystery bowler, Usman Tariq.
• Apart from the duo, the team also has Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, and Saim Ayub as the three other spin-bowling options in the team.

Batting depth one of the best in T20 World Cup

• Pakistan certainly has one of the best batting depths in the tournament, as Shadab Khan generally bats at 6, Mohammad Nawaz at 7, Faheem Ashraf at 8, and even Shaheen Afridi can bat at 9. On paper, having a good batting depth doesn’t seem like a big deal, but in a tournament like a T20 World Cup, if the Pakistan top order crumbles, there will be assurance that the team bats deep.

Weaknesses of Pakistan

Power-hitting a problem for Pakistan

• Pakistan’s biggest issue heading into the T20 World Cup is the strike rate of their top-order and middle order batters. The likes of Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, and Salman Agha have done well in patches, but do they have the power game if Pakistan needs to chase a total in excess of 200?

(PAK top 4 T20I strike rate in 2025)

• For the same reason, the middle-order also looks weak. Last year, Babar Azam had a T20I strike rate of less than 120, and Fakhar Zaman also languished in the mid 120s as their batters lack the power game to take down the opposition attack.

Pace department a worrying point for Pakistan

• In Shaheen Afridi, Salman Mirza, and Naseem Shah, Pakistan has a decent pace attack, but they are not threatening the opposition batters. Shaheen is coming back after a knee injury, and Naseem has been in and out of the side.
• Salman Mirza is a promising bowler, but he lacks the big match experience at the highest level, and that could come back to haunt Pakistan.

Opportunities

Chance for Pakistan to claim second T20 title

• Unlike the 50-overs World Cup, Pakistan has generally done well in the T20I World Cups, reaching the knockout stage several times. They were also winners back in the 2009 edition, but since then, the title has eluded them. The upcoming game provides them a chance to win the championship once again.

Threats

Can they break the psychological barrier?

The last three ICC tournaments have not been good for the Men in Green, as they have been knocked out of the group stage in the 50-overs World Cup 2023, the T20 World Cup in 2024, and the Champions Trophy, last year.

Despite boasting strong teams in the last couple of ICC events, the team has failed to qualify for the knockouts, and the question arises: can they break the psychological barrier of not qualifying for the knockouts?

Just like the T20 World Cup 2024, Pakistan has an easy route towards the knockouts this year, with only India possessing a real challenge. But as history suggests, Pakistan has been unpredictable, and they need to break that shackle.

Pakistan's probable XI for T20 World Cup 2026

Saim Ayub, Sahibzada Farhan, Salman Agha(c), Babar Azam, Usman Khan(wk), Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Abrar Ahmed

Expected finish: Might enter semis