ICC T20 World Cup 2026: Pakistan Name 15‑Member Squad After Reversing Boycott Threat

Pakistan on Sunday announced a 15-member squad for the ICC T20 World Cup 2026, effectively stepping back from an earlier boycott threat issued by Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi.

The squad was unveiled at a press conference at the Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore, addressed by PCB High Performance Director and national selection committee member Aaqib Javed, skipper Salman Ali Agha, and white-ball head coach Michael James Hesson.

Despite the squad announcement, Aaqib Javed said that Pakistan’s participation in the World Cup is far from certain.

“We are selectors, and our job is to pick the team,” Javed told reporters. “The government will decide on our participation, so I can say nothing on that front. That's what the chairman has said, too, so we’ll wait for their decision.”

Salman Agha To Lead; One Big Omission

Salman Ali Agha has been named captain for the tournament. There are no major surprises in the squad, with the same group of players named for Pakistan’s upcoming home T20 series against Australia also included for the global event.

One notable omission is medium pacer Mohammad Wasim Jr, who misses out despite being part of the Australia series squad, which begins on January 29 in Lahore.

Haris Rauf, the leading wicket-taker in the Big Bash League (BBL), is also not a part of the squad. Rauf hasn’t played for Pakistan since taking part in the Asia Cup in September.

Spin-Heavy Attack For Pakistan

Pakistan have opted for a spin-heavy squad, naming specialist spinners Abrar Ahmed and mystery spinner Usman Tariq, who has limited international experience.

The squad also includes spin all-rounders Mohammad Nawaz, Shadab Khan, and Saim Ayub. Hard-hitting youngster Khawaja Nafay, who has played just one T20I in Sri Lanka earlier this month, has been retained.

Among the 15 players, Salman Ali Agha, Faheem Ashraf, Khawaja Mohammad Nafay, Mohammad Salman Mirza, Sahibzada Farhan, and Usman Tariq have earned their maiden call-ups to a global ICC event.

Experienced campaigners Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Nawaz, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shadab Khan, and Usman Khan have featured in at least one T20 World Cup edition since 2021.

Azam, who has struggled to score in the ongoing BBL season, scoring 202 runs in 11 games, has been named in the squad. Hesson said that the batter might prove key in the slower pitches in Sri Lanka, where Pakistan will play all their matches.

“He certainly has the skill to control the middle overs, if required, and then to feed the strike to certain players,” Hesson said. “If we’re chasing a lower score, he certainly has that ability to control a chase … the conditions in Australia are significantly different than what we’re going to face in Sri Lanka, so we factored all those things in.”

End To Pakistan’s Boycott Threat

Naqvi had previously implied that Pakistan could withdraw from the tournament after the ICC replaced Bangladesh with Scotland, following Bangladesh’s refusal to travel to India, citing “security concerns”.

Following Bangladesh’s removal, the PCB chief said that the Pakistan government would take the final call on participation.

The ICC T20 World Cup 2026 will be held in India and Sri Lanka from February 7 to March 8, with all of Pakistan’s group matches scheduled in Sri Lanka.

Pakistan have been drawn in Group A and will begin their campaign against the Netherlands on February 7 in Colombo.

The PCB, BCCI, and ICC signed a tripartite agreement last year, ensuring that all India-Pakistan matches until 2027 will be played at neutral venues.

Pakistan Squad: Salman Ali Agha (c), 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), Usman Tariq.

(With PTI Inputs)