Lahore: The Pakistan Cricket Board has announced its 15-member squad for the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026, with the team set to compete in Group A, opening against the Netherlands on February 7 in Colombo. The announcement was made during a press conference at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore, featuring key figures such as Aqib Javed, Pakistan's T20I captain Salman Ali Agha, and head coach Michael James Hesson.
According to Pakistan Cricket Board, the selection includes first-time call-ups for Salman Ali Agha, Faheem Ashraf, Khawaja Mohammad Nafay, Mohammad Salman Mirza, Sahibzada Farhan, and Usman Tariq. These players are joined by seasoned participants Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Nawaz, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shadab Khan, and Usman Khan, who have previous T20 World Cup experience.
The tournament format involves 20 teams, each playing four group stage matches before advancing to the Super Eight and Knockout Stage, taking place between February 7 and March 8. Ahead of the World Cup, Pakistan will engage in a three-match T20I series against Australia at Gaddafi Stadium on January 29, 31, and February 1, with their preparation camp commencing today.
The announced squad includes: 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.