Pakistan have appointed Sahibzada Farhan as their new Twenty20 international captain, replacing Salman Agha ahead of the home T20I series against Sri Lanka.
Farhan, who became Pakistan’s fourth T20I captain in two and a half years, will lead the side in the three-match series in Rawalpindi on October 9, 11 and 13.
No official reason was given for Agha’s removal from the leadership role.
Farhan Recently Led Pakistan at Asian Games
Farhan previously captained a second-string Pakistan side at the Asian Games in Japan.
Pakistan reached the final but suffered a defeat against arch-rivals India on Saturday.
His appointment comes as Pakistan look to build a squad with the 2028 T20 World Cup in mind. Australia and New Zealand are scheduled to co-host that tournament.
Under Agha, Pakistan won 31 of their 50 T20Is, although the team failed to reach the semi-finals of this year’s T20 World Cup.
Shaheen Afridi Retained as ODI Captain
While Pakistan have made a change in their T20I leadership, Shaheen Shah Afridi has retained the captaincy of the ODI team.
Shaheen will lead Pakistan in a tri-series involving Sri Lanka and England, beginning on October 18 in Rawalpindi.
However, Shaheen is not part of the 15-member squad selected for the upcoming T20I series against Sri Lanka.
Former T20I captain Babar Azam is also absent from the squad.
Razaullah Earns Maiden Call-Up
All-rounder Razaullah has been rewarded with his first international call-up in both the T20I and ODI squads.
The selection follows an impressive Test debut against England at Edgbaston last month, where he scored 81 runs and claimed four wickets.
His performances have earned him an opportunity to establish himself across Pakistan’s white-ball teams.
Mohammad Rizwan Dropped From ODI Squad
Senior wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan has also been left out of Pakistan’s ODI squad.
Rizwan was previously dropped from the T20I squad earlier this year and now faces an investigation by Pakistan’s cybercrime agency over allegations of leaking team information.
Pakistan Begin New Leadership Phase
Pakistan’s latest captaincy changes signal another transition in their white-ball cricket setup.
With Farhan taking charge of the T20I side and Shaheen continuing as ODI captain, selectors appear to be focusing on building squads capable of competing in future major tournaments, particularly the 2028 T20 World Cup.
Pakistan T20I squad: Sahibzada Farhan (captain), Abdul Samad, Abrar Ahmed, Arafat Minhas, Fakhar Zaman, Hasan Nawaz, Muhammad Imran, Khawaja Nafay, Maaz Sadaqat, Naseem Shah, Razaullah, Saim Ayub, Mohammad Salman Mirza, Shadab Khan, 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, Haris Rauf, Hasan Nawaz, Naseem Shah, Razaullah, Saad Baig, Saim Ayub, Shadab Khan, Sufiyan Moqim.