Pakistan Cricket Team Squad
Every Pakistan squad that matters — the T20 World Cup 2026 team, ODI and Asia Cup squads, star players and captains, all in one place.
Last updated: 11 October 2026
The Essentials
Pakistan Squad at a Glance
The names and numbers that define Pakistan cricket right now.
Flagship Event
T20 World Cup 2026 Squad
Announced 25 January 2026 in Lahore by Aqib Javed, Mike Hesson and Salman Ali Agha. Pakistan play all matches in Sri Lanka under the hybrid model.
| Player | Role | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Salman Ali Agha (c) | Batting all-rounder | First ICC event as captain |
| Babar Azam | Batter | All-time leading T20I run-scorer |
| Saim Ayub | Opener | Attacking left-hander |
| Fakhar Zaman | Opener | Experienced power-hitter |
| Sahibzada Farhan (wk) | Wicketkeeper-batter | Maiden World Cup |
| Usman Khan (wk) | Wicketkeeper-batter | Maiden World Cup |
| Khawaja Nafay (wk) | Wicketkeeper-batter | Maiden World Cup |
| Shadab Khan | All-rounder | Leg-spin + late hitting |
| Mohammad Nawaz | All-rounder | Left-arm spin option |
| Faheem Ashraf | All-rounder | Maiden World Cup |
| Shaheen Shah Afridi | Fast bowler | New-ball spearhead |
| Naseem Shah | Fast bowler | Pace partner |
| Abrar Ahmed | Spinner | Mystery spin |
| Usman Tariq | Spinner | Maiden World Cup |
| Mohammad Salman Mirza | Fast bowler | Maiden World Cup |
Left out: Mohammad Rizwan (no T20I for over a year) and Haris Rauf — the two biggest selection calls. Full World Cup squad analysis →
The Stars
Star Players
The names on every team sheet — and every billboard.
Babar Azam
The all-time leading run-scorer in men’s T20Is and Pakistan’s batting mainstay across formats — retained for the World Cup despite a lean BBL. Player profiles →
Shaheen Shah Afridi
The new-ball destroyer; recovered from a knee injury to lead the pace attack, and captained the ODI side in Bangladesh in March 2026.
Saim Ayub
The fearless young opener — Pakistan’s T20 batting future, striking at the top with Sahibzada Farhan.
Naseem Shah
Pace, swing and hostility — Shaheen’s new-ball partner and a white-ball strike weapon.
Shadab Khan
Leg-spinning all-rounder; Pakistan’s T20 utility player with bat, ball and in the field.
Mohammad Rizwan
Out of the T20I setup for over a year but still a central white-ball figure — the selection debate of 2026.
Leadership
Captains Across Formats
Pakistan splits the captaincy by format — a deliberate strategy since the 2024 reset.
Salman Ali Agha
Leads the T20I side including the 2026 World Cup — an all-rounder trusted with the rebuild under coach Mike Hesson.
Shaheen Shah Afridi
Took the ODI reins for the Bangladesh tour in March 2026, leading a young squad with six uncapped players.
Shan Masood
Pakistan’s red-ball leader — the steady hand of the Test side while white-ball cricket experiments.
50-Over Side
ODI Squad
The Bangladesh tour squad (March 2026) shows the ODI direction: youth plus experience.
Shaheen Shah Afridi (c), Abdul Samad, Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Faisal Akram, Haris Rauf, Hussain Talat, Maaz Sadaqat, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Muhammad Ghazi Ghori (wk), Saad Masood, Sahibzada Farhan, Salman Ali Agha, Shamyl Hussain. Six uncapped players — Abdul Samad, Maaz Sadaqat, Saad Masood, Shamyl Hussain, Ghazi Ghori and Sahibzada Farhan — signal a generational shift, while Rizwan and Babar’s ODI futures remain talking points. Full ODI squad guide →
Continental Battle
Asia Cup Squad
Pakistan reached the Asia Cup 2025 final — the squad that took them there.
Finalists, 2025
Pakistan’s Asia Cup 2025 campaign ended in the final — the platform for the T20 World Cup 2026 squad that followed, with Sahibzada Farhan and Saim Ayub opening and the pace trio firing.
Selection Pattern
The Asia Cup established Hesson’s template: aggressive openers, three all-rounders for balance, Shaheen-Naseem with the new ball, and Abrar’s mystery spin through the middle.
The Rivalry
Pakistan vs India Squads
No fixture moves the needle like it — the squads, the stakes, the history.
Pakistan face India on 15 February 2026 at Colombo’s R. Premadasa Stadium in the T20 World Cup group stage — under the hybrid model, Pakistan play all their matches in Sri Lanka. The 15-man squad above is the group Hesson backs for the biggest game in cricket: Babar and Fakhar’s experience, Saim and Farhan’s fearlessness, and Shaheen with the new ball against India’s top order. Pakistan’s squad for India matches →
Inside the System
How Squads Are Picked
Selection in 2026 runs through a tight, professional structure.
Selection Committee
Aqib Javed (Director High Performance) leads selection with a small panel — merit, form and role-clarity over reputation, as the Rizwan and Rauf calls showed.
Coach’s Blueprint
White-ball head coach Mike Hesson drives an aggressive T20 template: fearless openers, all-round depth, and pace-first bowling.
Pathway
PSL performances, domestic cricket and Pakistan Shaheens tours feed the national pool — the Asian Games 2026 squad (Farhan captaining) showcases the next wave.
Legacy
Squad History: From 1992 to 2026
Pakistan’s squads have produced some of cricket’s greatest teams — and its most dramatic collapses.
The 1992 World Cup winners under Imran Khan remain the gold standard — Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis and Inzamam-ul-Haq announcing Pakistan on the world stage. The 2009 T20 World Cup champions (Younis Khan’s men, Afridi the hero at Lord’s) made Pakistan the format’s first kings. The 2017 Champions Trophy triumph — Fakhar Zaman’s hundred and Mohammad Amir dismantling India in the final — is the modern peak.
Since then: the 2021 T20 World Cup semi-final, the 2022 final defeat, group-stage exits that stung, and now the Hesson-Agha rebuild targeting the 2026 title on familiar Sri Lankan pitches. The current squad blends the old guard (Babar, Fakhar, Shaheen) with a fearless new generation (Saim, Farhan, Nafay) — Pakistan’s classic formula, refreshed.
Answers
Frequently Asked Questions
What fans ask most about Pakistan’s squad — answered.
Who is the captain of the Pakistan cricket team?
Salman Ali Agha captains the T20I side (including the 2026 World Cup), Shaheen Shah Afridi leads the ODI team, and Shan Masood captains the Test side.
Why is Rizwan not in the T20 World Cup squad?
Mohammad Rizwan hasn’t played T20Is for over a year; coach Mike Hesson has moved to a more aggressive top order with Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub and Usman Khan keeping wicket. His ODI place remains intact.
Why was Haris Rauf dropped?
Despite being Pakistan’s highest T20I wicket-taker, Rauf was below par in the Asia Cup 2025 final and lost his place to the returning Naseem Shah and Mohammad Salman Mirza in a pace-heavy squad.
Who are Pakistan’s best batsmen right now?
Babar Azam (all-time top T20I scorer), Saim Ayub, Fakhar Zaman and Sahibzada Farhan — the core of the 2026 white-ball top order.
What is Pakistan’s team name?
Officially the Pakistan national cricket team — nicknamed the Green Shirts and Shaheens (falcons).
Who is Pakistan’s vice-captain?
Pakistan have rotated the deputy role by format and series — Shadab Khan has most often served as Salman Ali Agha’s T20I deputy, while senior pros like Babar Azam provide leadership support. The PCB names vice-captains with each squad announcement.
How many players are in a cricket squad?
ICC tournaments allow 15-member squads (plus travelling reserves). Bilateral series squads are often 15–18 players, giving selectors room to test bench strength.
When was the Pakistan squad announced?
The T20 World Cup 2026 squad was announced on 25 January 2026 in Lahore; ODI and bilateral squads are named before each series by the PCB selection committee.
Every Squad, Every Player, Every Format
12 detailed guides — World Cup squads, player profiles, captains and the India rivalry.
Feature Pakistan’s Pakistan Guides cover the national team’s squads, players and tournaments in plain language — for fans, students and fantasy-league managers, verified against PCB announcements.