Who’s in, who’s out, who leads? The Pakistan cricket team squad for October 2026 — the T20I party facing Sri Lanka, the leadership group across formats, and the coaches shaping them.
Quick answer: Pakistan’s T20I squad vs Sri Lanka (Oct 2026): Sahibzada Farhan (c), Khawaja Nafay (wk), Abdul Samad, Abrar Ahmed, Arafat Minhas, Fakhar Zaman, Hasan Nawaz, Muhammad Imran Randhawa, Maaz Sadaqat, Naseem Shah, Razaullah, Saim Ayub, Mohammad Salman Mirza, Shadab Khan, Sufiyan Moqim. Captains: Farhan (T20I), Shaheen Afridi (ODI), Babar Azam (Test). Coaches: Mike Hesson (white-ball), Sarfaraz Ahmed (Test).
T20I squad vs Sri Lanka (October 2026)
Announced for the three-match series at Rawalpindi (9, 11, 13 Oct):
- Captain: Sahibzada Farhan
- Batters: Fakhar Zaman, Saim Ayub, Hasan Nawaz, Khawaja Nafay (wk), Abdul Samad, Maaz Sadaqat
- All-rounders: Shadab Khan, Arafat Minhas, Muhammad Imran Randhawa, Razaullah
- Bowlers: Naseem Shah, Abrar Ahmed, Mohammad Salman Mirza, Sufiyan Moqim
Notable: Salman Ali Agha — T20I captain until days earlier — was dropped from the squad entirely after the Asian Games silver.
Captains & coaches
| Role | Name | Since |
|---|---|---|
| T20I captain | Sahibzada Farhan | October 2026 |
| ODI captain | Shaheen Shah Afridi | November 2025 |
| Test captain | Babar Azam | July 2026 |
| White-ball head coach | Mike Hesson | May 2025 |
| Test head coach | Sarfaraz Ahmed | March 2026 |
The core across formats
Beyond the T20I fifteen, Pakistan’s established core includes Babar Azam (Test captain; batting linchpin), Mohammad Rizwan (keeper-batter, former white-ball captain), Shaheen Shah Afridi (ODI captain; new-ball spearhead), Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf, Shadab Khan, Shan Masood, Saud Shakeel and Abrar Ahmed. Squads are named series-by-series by the PCB selection committee — check today’s playing XI guide on match day.
See the team hub, all captains and rankings.
Frequently asked questions
Who is the current captain of Pakistan?
Split: Sahibzada Farhan (T20I), Shaheen Shah Afridi (ODI), Babar Azam (Test) — as of October 2026.
Who is Pakistan’s coach?
Mike Hesson (white-ball head coach, since May 2025) and Sarfaraz Ahmed (Test head coach, since March 2026).
Is Babar Azam still playing for Pakistan?
Yes — and he returned as Test captain in July 2026, replacing Shan Masood.
