ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s narrow defeat to Sri Lanka in the rain-affected third T20 International in Dambulla brought an end to a largely inconclusive series, but the outcome mattered less than the questions it raised.
With limited overs, abandoned matches and constant reshuffles, the tour offered only brief glimpses of on-field action. Yet, beneath the surface, familiar structural issues in Pakistan’s T20 setup — particularly the imbalance between openers and specialist middle-order batters — once again came into focus as the team builds towards the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026.
Despite the limited cricket on display, the series exposed familiar concerns — particularly Pakistan’s continuing imbalance in squad composition ahead of the T20 World Cup 2026.
Too Many Openers, Too Few Specialists
Traditionally, the final T20I of a series — particularly when it acts as a decider — reflects the management’s preferred XI. Against Sri Lanka on 11 January 2026, Pakistan’s top six consisted of Farhan, Saim, Agha Salman, Usman Khan, Nafay, and Shadab Khan. Of these, four are primarily openers, while two others have been adjusted into the middle order.
A similar pattern emerged earlier in the season. In the Tri-Series final against Sri Lanka on 29 November 2025, Pakistan’s top six were Farhan, Saim, Babar Azam, Agha Salman, Fakhar Zaman, and Usman Khan. Except for skipper Agha Salman, all were specialist openers.
Pakistan currently relies on Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, and Faheem Ashraf to occupy the No. 6, 7, and 8 positions. All three have performed creditably for Pakistan and their respective franchises in recent times. However, this heavy dependence on openers and all-rounders highlights a deeper issue: the management appears unconvinced by every specialist middle-order batter tried and tested in recent years.
Among the 15 strongest contenders for World Cup selection, six are natural openers — several of whom will inevitably be pushed down the order due to the absence of genuine middle-order options. Even Agha Salman, Pakistan’s T20I captain and a natural No. 3, is expected to bat at No. 4 or 5 to accommodate Babar Azam and Usman Khan higher up the order.
In the final T20I against Sri Lanka, Agha underlined his quality with a blistering 45 off just 12 balls, striking five fours and three sixes. The remaining three slots in the top eight are occupied by all-rounders — players who once batted as low as No. 8 but can now contribute more effectively than specialist batters.
Yet, despite this evolution, none of them has consistently finished games for Pakistan over the past couple of years. As a result, when Pakistan lament the absence of finishers and match-winners, the criticism holds weight. Had reliable finishers existed, many of Pakistan’s close losses in recent seasons would have turned into victories.
The Dropped Middle-Order Batters
To understand how Pakistan arrived at this point, it is necessary to revisit selection trends over the past year. Following the decision to move away from Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan in T20Is and appoint Agha Salman as captain, Pakistan experimented extensively with the middle order.
On the New Zealand tour earlier in the year, Pakistan fielded Abdul Samad, Irfan Khan, Omair Bin Yousuf, and Khushdil Shah in middle-order roles. For the subsequent home series against Bangladesh, Abdul Samad and Omair were dropped, while Hussain Talat was included. Meanwhile, Muhammad Haris and Hasan Nawaz, initially brought in to replace Babar and Rizwan on the challenging New Zealand tour, were reassigned to the middle order as seniors such as Saim Ayub, Fakhar Zaman, and Farhan claimed opening positions.
The next assignment — an away tour of the USA against the West Indies — saw Irfan Khan dropped as well. This left Pakistan with only Khushdil Shah and Hussain Talat, alongside Agha Salman, as specialist middle-order batters. The same squad featured in the Tri-Series against Afghanistan and the UAE, followed by the Asia Cup 2025 in the UAE.
By the end of 2025, despite some encouraging signs while playing without Babar and Rizwan, Pakistan reversed course. Babar Azam was recalled, Usman Khan was added, and Abdul Samad was recalled — the only genuine middle-order batter after Agha Salman. Both Khushdil Shah and Hussain Talat were dropped.
However, recent developments suggest that Samad is no longer in contention. Despite being selected in squads for the last three T20I series, he has not represented Pakistan since the New Zealand tour in March 2025. During that tour, he played all five T20Is, averaging 16.5, with scores of 7, 11, 44, and 4, while not batting in the third match.
With limited exposure in recent months, Samad is unlikely to feature among the final 15 selected for the T20 World Cup 2026. That leaves Pakistan with only Agha Salman as a specialist middle-order batter — a player who averages 23 and strikes at 117 when not batting at No. 3.
Where Has All the PSL Talent Gone?
In the past, Pakistan have tried several middle-order options, including Iftikhar Ahmed, Asif Ali, Haider Ali, Azam Khan, among others. Most of them will once again appear in the upcoming HBL Pakistan Super League, clearing boundaries on the flat pitches of Rawalpindi and Karachi.
Every PSL season reignites hope. Analysts, former players, and YouTube vloggers search for a batter capable of matching Indian or South African counterparts. Sometimes it is Azam Khan, sometimes Saim Ayub, occasionally Haider Ali, or even Hasan Nawaz. Driven by perceived potential and social media pressure, these players are fast-tracked into the national side.
But raw talent needs time and sustained exposure to develop. These players often perform for one or two series before opposition teams identify their weaknesses. Confidence fades, returns diminish, and they are eventually dropped once management’s patience runs out. This cycle has defined the careers of many young Pakistani batters who earned their reputations primarily through the PSL.
As a result, the idea that the PSL reliably feeds Pakistan’s national team is largely a myth. Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, and Agha Salman — Pakistan’s three most enduring batters — were all developed through the domestic cricket system.
Pakistan would be better served by reversing the process: feeding the PSL with players already hardened by domestic cricket and then giving them A-team and domestic cricket exposure for at least two more years before awarding international caps.
The difference between teams like Pakistan and Australia is that they select finished products; Pakistan introduces raw talent based on PSL performances. This approach has never worked — and that is why Pakistan now struggles to win when major teams field their first-choice sides. Pakistan’s performances in the last three ICC tournaments underline this reality with uncomfortable clarity.
