Pakistan T20 World Cup 2026 squad announced; Babar Azam in, Haris Rauf dropped

PCB has announced Pakistan's T20 World Cup squad [Source: AFP]

In a significant development, the PCB announced Pakistan's squad for the T20 World Cup 2026 on Sunday afternoon. Pakistan's T20I captain Salman Ali Agha, head coach Mike Hesson and Director of High Performance Aaqib Javed addressed the media and announced a formidable 15-member squad for the T20 World Cup, set to be played in India and Sri Lanka in February-March.

Middle-order batter Salman Ali Agha will lead the Pakistani contingent in the T20 World Cup 2026, where they will face the Netherlands and the United States before colliding with arch-rivals, India, and Namibia in their subsequent group stage encounters.

Veteran batter Babar Azam has found a place in the Pakistan T20 World Cup squad, while Shaheen Afridi, Fakhar Zaman, Sahibzada Farhan and Saim Ayub have made it into the team on expected lines. However, experienced fast bowler Haris Rauf has been dropped for the marquee event despite showcasing his mettle in the BBL 2025-26.

Babar Azam in Pakistan's T20 World Cup squad despite poor BBL returns

Stylish top-order batter Babar Azam has been included in Pakistan's T20 World Cup squad despite registering a string of failures in the BBL 2025-26. The right-handed batter represented the Sydney Sixers, finishing his maiden BBL stint with 202 runs across eleven innings at an average of 22.44.

However, Babar's overall T20I record and experience worked in his favour, with Pakistan selecting him as their reliable top-order option alongside the dynamic Saim Ayub and Sahibzada Farhan.

No place for Haris Rauf

Ace speedster Haris Rauf is the most prominent name to be dropped from Pakistan's T20 World Cup squad. Although Rauf has the knack for scalping wickets, his poor economy rate prompted Pakistan to exclude him from their T20I playing XI after they lost the Asia Cup final against India.

Multi-dimensional players like Saim, Nawaz, Shadab and Faheem rewarded

Despite blowing hot and cold with the bat, Saim Ayub has been instrumental with the ball for Pakistan, scalping 21 wickets across 28 T20I innings. The southpaw is expected to spearhead the all-rounders' department along with the experienced trio of Mohammad Nawaz, Shadab Khan, and Faheem Ashraf.

Faheem has been a consistent performer lately (25 T20I wickets since 2025), while the inclusion of Saim, Shadab, and Nawaz empowers Pakistan with a formidable spin-bowling core that can exploit the conditions in Sri Lanka.

Shaheen Afridi to lead Pakistani pace attack with Naseem and Salman Mirza

Given that they will play all their matches on Sri Lanka's spin-friendly pitches, Pakistan have emphasised spinners over genuine pace options. As a result, the likes of Mohammad Wasim Jr, Abbas Afridi, Hasan Ali, and Haris Rauf have missed out on selection, with Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, and Salman Mirza making it into the team as the frontline pacers.

Meanwhile, Abrar Ahmed and Usman Tariq add depth and quality to the spin unit, which will pretty much determine Pakistan's fate in the T20 World Cup.

Pakistan's T20 World Cup 2026 squad

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