Farhan recently led Pakistan at the 20th Asian Games in Japan, where the Green Shirts secured the silver medal.

KARACHI: Top-order batter Sahibzada Farhan has replaced Agha Salman as Pakistan’s T20I captain, with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announcing squads for the upcoming home series against Sri Lanka.

The T20I series will begin at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on October 9, followed by the second and third matches on October 11 and 13.

Agha Salman has been dropped from the T20I squad but retained in the ODI squad for Pakistan’s upcoming tri-series involving Sri Lanka and England.

Major Changes to T20I Squad

Several players who represented Pakistan at the T20 World Cup earlier this year have been left out of the T20I squad.

Agha Salman, Babar Azam, Mohammad Nawaz, Usman Tariq, Faheem Ashraf and Shaheen Shah Afridi have been dropped from the T20I setup.

Arafat Minhas, fast bowler Muhammad Imran Randhawa, Maaz Sadaqat, Hasan Nawaz, Naseem Shah and Razaullah have been included in the squad.

Farhan recently led Pakistan at the 20th Asian Games in Japan, where the Green Shirts secured the silver medal.

Shaheen to Lead ODI Team

Shaheen Shah Afridi will continue as Pakistan’s ODI captain for the upcoming tri-series featuring Pakistan, Sri Lanka and England.

Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Hasan Nawaz, Razaullah and wicketkeeper Saad Baig have been included in the ODI squad.

Maaz Sadaqat, Ahmed Daniyal, Abdul Samad, Sahibzada Farhan, Shamyl Hussain and Rohail Nazir have been left out of the ODI squad that last featured in the home series against Australia in May.

Razaullah, who recently impressed on his Test debut against England, is also in line to make his ODI debut.

Fakhar Zaman returns to the ODI squad after missing the previous assignment because of fitness concerns.

Pakistan and Sri Lanka Set for T20I Contest

The T20I series will be only the second occasion on which Sri Lanka have played a full-fledged T20I series in Pakistan.

Pakistan hold the better overall record against Sri Lanka in the format, winning 18 of their 31 meetings, while Sri Lanka have recorded 13 victories.

Sri Lanka, however, swept Pakistan 3-0 in their last three-match T20I series in Pakistan in October 2019. Dasun Shanaka captained Sri Lanka in that series, while Sarfaraz Ahmed led Pakistan.

Sri Lanka have struggled in recent bilateral series. They lost a three-match series 2-1 against the West Indies in June before suffering a 3-0 defeat against England in England last month.

Their Asian Games campaign ended positively, though India eliminated them in the semi-finals.

Pakistan Return to T20I Action

The Sri Lanka series will be Pakistan’s first T20I assignment since the T20 World Cup, which was jointly hosted by India and Sri Lanka earlier this year.

Pakistan’s last home T20I series came against Australia, whom they defeated 3-0 shortly before the World Cup.

A Sri Lankan team contingent has already arrived in Islamabad, while additional players were scheduled to reach the capital on Monday and Tuesday.

Following the T20I series, Pakistan will participate in a seven-match ODI tri-series against Sri Lanka and England.

Rawalpindi will host the opening three matches before the tournament shifts to Lahore for the remaining league fixtures and the final.

Pakistan T20I Squad

Sahibzada Farhan (captain), Abdul Samad, Abrar Ahmed, Arafat Minhas, Fakhar Zaman, Hasan Nawaz, Muhammad Imran Randhawa, Khawaja Nafay (wicketkeeper), Maaz Sadaqat, Naseem Shah, Razaullah, Saim Ayub, Mohammad Salman Mirza, Shadab Khan and Sufiyan Moqim.

Pakistan ODI Squad

Shaheen Shah Afridi (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Salman Ali Agha, Arafat Minhas, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Muhammad Ghazi Ghori (wicketkeeper), Haris Rauf, Hasan Nawaz, Naseem Shah, Razaullah, Saad Baig (wicketkeeper), Saim Ayub, Shadab Khan and Sufiyan Moqim.

Team Management

Naveed Akram Cheema (manager), Mike Hesson (head coach), Shaun Tait (bowling coach), Michael Smith (batting coach), Mansoor Amjad (fielding coach), Muhammad Tahir (physiotherapist), Grant Luden (strength and conditioning coach), Nabeel Edger Pace (team analyst for Sri Lanka T20Is), Usman Hashmi (team analyst for the tri-series), Shafqat Shabbir (media manager for the Rawalpindi leg), Syed Nazir Ahmed (media manager for the Lahore leg), Col. Usman Anwari (security manager), Dr Wajid Ali Rafai (team doctor) and Muhammad Ehsan (masseur).