Pakistan Announces 15-Member Squad for ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026; Opening Match Against Netherlands on February 7

The Pakistan Cricket Board has announced a 15-member squad for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, set to take place from February 7 to March 8, co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka. Pakistan has been placed in Group A and will open their campaign against the Netherlands on February 7 in Colombo. The squad was unveiled at a press conference at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium, featuring PCB Director of High Performance Aqib Javed, Pakistan T20I captain Salman Ali Agha, and white-ball head coach Michael James Hesson.

The squad includes several players earning their first call-ups for a global event, such as captain Salman Ali Agha, Faheem Ashraf, Khawaja Mohammad Nafay, Mohammad Salman Mirza, Sahibzada Farhan, and Usman Tariq. Experienced players like Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Nawaz, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shadab Khan, and Usman Khan bring previous T20 World Cup experience from tournaments since 2021.

In the 20-team tournament, each team will play four group-stage matches before advancing to the Super Eight and Knockout stages. Ahead of the World Cup, Pakistan will face Australia in a three-match T20I series at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore on January 29, 31, and February 1, with the team’s preparation camp already underway.

The official Pakistan squad for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 consists of Salman Ali Agha (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Khawaja Mohammad Nafay (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Salman Mirza, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan (wk), Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shadab Khan, Usman Khan (wk), and Usman Tariq.

This selection reflects a balance of seasoned performers and emerging talent, aimed at strengthening Pakistan’s campaign in the global T20 tournament while preparing for competitive matches against top-ranked teams like Australia in the lead-up series.