Pakistan playing XI Vs Australia, 2nd T20I, 2026- Fakhar Zaman dropped, Babar demoted

Pakistan probable XI Vs AUS [Source: AFP Photo]

Pakistan began their T20 World Cup preparations with a resounding win against Australia in the first of the three T20I matches in Lahore. The hosts outplayed the visitors in the first game and won the contest in a one-sided battle. However, there are quite a few chinks still left in their armour.

Despite a convincing win, their batting looked lethargic, and several batters struggled against the quality of the Australian side. As a result, the team might look to make a couple of changes in the team and here’s Pakistan’s probable XI for the second T20I.

Top order: Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Agha

• Pakistan has a settled top three with the management backing Sahibzada Farhan and Saim Ayub since the start of last year. Both have been highly inconsistent and have delivered in patches. But the duo have certain qualities which makes them special.
• Sahibzada is clearly Pakistan’s best T20I hitter and the team needs him at the top to maximise the powerplay. On the other hand, Saim Ayub has blown hot and cold as a batter, but on Sri Lankan wickets, his off-spin will come in handy.
• Captain Salman Agha revealed his batting position for the T20 World Cup as the skipper promoted himself at number 3 and will continue to do so in the upcoming games. That means, Babar Azam will be pushed down the order.

Middle-order: Babar Azam, Khawaja Nafay, Usman Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Shadab Khan

Fakhar Zaman dropped, Nafay in

Fakhar Zaman has been poor in T20Is since the start of 2025, and, once playing as an opener, he was demoted to number 5 by the management for the Sri Lanka/Zimbabwe tri-series. His strike-rate has been questionable, and the management could take a harsh call by dropping him.

(Fakhar Zaman T20I stats in 2025)

• 512 runs were scored by Fakhar in 2025, but his strike rate came under scrutiny (127), and this has been Pakistan’s biggest worry when it comes to the left-handed batter.
• In the first T20I against Australia, he struggled and scored only 10 off 16 as Pakistan’s momentum was halted. In his place, the team should go in with Khawaja Nafay, who is younger, has an aggressive batting style and will suit the team better.
• Babar Azam flopped in his new batting position against Australia, but the team has shown trust in him in previous games, and the batter will certainly get another chance at number 4. He used to play at 3, but with Salman Agha doing well at that position, Babar will be demoted permanently.
• Usman Khan is likely to keep wickets at number 6, and alongside him, Pakistan is likely to deploy two finishers in Mohammad Nawaz and Shadab Khan, who can chip in with quick runs and can also give four quality overs with the ball.

Bowlers: Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Abrar Ahmed

Naseem to replace Salman Mirza

• Coming back after a knee injury, Shaheen Afridi was not at his best in the first T20I Vs Australia, but he is still their premium pacer, and Pakistan needs him to get some match fitness for the T20 World Cup. If Pakistan wins the second game, then only Shaheen will be rested for the dead rubber contest.
• However, the team is still likely to make a bowling change, with Naseem Shah replacing Salman Mirza. Just like Shaheen, Mirza, too, was expensive in the first T20I, but he has better T20I numbers than Naseem. 
• However, as of late, Pakistan has experimented with their playing XIs, and don’t be surprised if the team throws Naseem in the scheme of things just to see which of the two will partner Shaheen at the World Cup.
• Abrar Ahmed will once again be the leader of the spin attack as he will be accompanied by Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz and Saim Ayub as the four spin-bowling options against Australia.

Pakistan's probable XI for 2nd T20I Vs Australia

Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Agha(c), Babar Azam, Khawaja Nafay, Usman Khan(w), Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Abrar Ahmed