KEY POINTS
- Final squad requires approval from PCB Chairman after consultations.
- PCB can change its preliminary T20 World Cup squad list until Jan 31 deadline.
- Pakistan will play all its T20 World Cup 2026 group stage matches in Sri Lanka.
LAHORE, Pakistan: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is set to announce the national squad later this week in Lahore for both the upcoming home T20I series against Australia and the ICC T20 World Cup 2026.
White-ball head coach Mike Hesson is expected to arrive in Lahore after the conclusion of the Sri Lanka tour.
He, along with captain Salman Ali Agha, will hold final discussions with the national selection committee.
The finalised squad will subsequently be announced upon approval from Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi.
While the PCB has already submitted a preliminary list of players to the ICC for the T20 World Cup 2026, co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka, the board retains the flexibility to make changes to this list without ICC approval until January 31 deadline.
Players under consideration
The selection pool is reported to include a mix of seasoned campaigners and emerging talent. Probable players for the series and the World Cup preliminary list are said to be:
Captain Salman Ali Agha, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Fakhar Zaman, Shadab Khan, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Mohammad Nawaz, Usman Khan, and Abrar Ahmed.
Other key players under consideration include pace spearheads Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah, and Haris Rauf, alongside Salman Mirza and Khawaja Nafay.
Names like Abdul Samad, Mohammad Wasim Jr, and Usman Tariq are likely to be included among the reserve players.
Australia tour schedule
In parallel developments, the PCB has forwarded proposed schedules for Australia’s T20 International tour of Pakistan to Cricket Australia.
Sources reveal that two draft itineraries have been shared for a three-match T20I series.
According to the proposals, the Australian team could arrive in Pakistan on either January 26 or 27, with departure scheduled for February 2 or 3. The tentative fixture plan includes two back-to-back matches, likely on January 29 and 31, followed by a one-day break before the third and final T20I, proposed for February 1.
T20 World Cup 2026: Pakistan’s group stage itinerary
Pakistan, the 2009 champions, will commence their T20 World Cup 2026 campaign in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Their Group A fixtures are as follows:
February 7: vs Netherlands
February 10: vs USA
February 15: vs India
February 18: vs Namibia
It is pertinent to note that Pakistan will play all their group-stage matches in Sri Lanka. The Super Eight stage of the tournament is scheduled to be held across venues in Colombo and Kandy.
