Pakistan Team Captains: Every Captain, Every Era, Every Format
Who captains Pakistan right now in Tests, ODIs and T20Is — and the full story from Abdul Hafeez Kardar in 1952 to Sahibzada Farhan’s appointment in October 2026.
Last updated: 11 October 2026
October 2026
Pakistan’s Current Captains
Three formats, three captains — the latest change came on 5 October 2026, when Sahibzada Farhan replaced Salman Ali Agha as T20I captain.
Sahibzada Farhan
T20I captain since 5 October 2026. Led Pakistan to Asian Games silver; was the 2026 T20 World Cup’s top scorer with 383 runs.
Shaheen Shah Afridi
ODI captain since November 2025. Leads the tri-series against Sri Lanka and England this October.
Babar Azam
Test captain since July 2026, succeeding Shan Masood. Pakistan’s premier batter back in red-ball charge.
The Guides
Twelve Captaincy Guides
From the newest appointment to the first captain in 1952 — pick the guide that answers your question.
Pakistan Cricket New Captain
Sahibzada Farhan’s appointment: why the PCB made the change and what comes first.
Pakistan Team Captains: All-Time List
Every Pakistan captain from Kardar (1952) to Farhan (2026), format by format.
Key Figures
Captaincy in Numbers
The figures that define Pakistan’s leadership story.
ICC trophies won by Pakistan (1992, 2009, 2017)
T20Is captained by Salman Ali Agha (31 wins)
Test wins under Misbah-ul-Haq — a Pakistan record
Year of Pakistan’s first Test, under Kardar
Timeline
The Captaincy Carousel Since the 2023 World Cup
Pakistan’s leadership has changed hands repeatedly since late 2023 — here is the sequence.
Babar steps down; Masood & Shaheen take over
After the 2023 World Cup, Shan Masood becomes Test captain and Shaheen Afridi takes the T20Is — the latter lasting one series in New Zealand.
Babar returns, then Rizwan takes white-ball charge
Babar is reinstated briefly; by late 2024 Mohammad Rizwan is named captain in both limited-overs formats.
Salman Ali Agha becomes T20I captain
Agha takes the T20I reins and holds them through the 2025 Asia Cup and the 2026 T20 World Cup — 50 matches, 31 wins.
Shaheen replaces Rizwan as ODI captain
Shaheen Shah Afridi is handed the ODI captaincy, which he still holds.
Babar replaces Masood as Test captain
Babar Azam returns to red-ball leadership ahead of the England tour.
Farhan replaces Agha as T20I captain
After Asian Games silver and a chart-topping T20 World Cup, Sahibzada Farhan is appointed T20I captain for the Sri Lanka series.
Questions
Pakistan Captain FAQs
Who is the current captain of the Pakistan cricket team?
Who is the new captain of Pakistan cricket team?
Who was the first captain of Pakistan cricket team?
Who is Pakistan’s most successful captain?
Who is the Pakistan women’s cricket team captain?
Why was Salman Ali Agha removed as T20 captain?
Never Miss a Captaincy Change Again
Pakistan’s leadership changes fast — this hub is updated with every appointment. Start with the current captains, then explore seven decades of history.
Feature Pakistan’s cricket desk tracks PCB announcements and updates this hub with every captaincy change. Appointment dates and series results are verified against PCB releases and match records at the time of writing.