Sahibzada Farhan replaces sacked T20I skipper Salman Ali Agha for the home series against Sri Lanka
Agha paid the price for high-profile tournament failures against elite teams despite a decent overall win rate.
The move highlights Pakistan cricket's continuous revolving-door captaincy in search of stability
Pakistan Sack Salman Ali Agha As T20I Captain, Appoint Sahibzada Farhan To Lead Against Sri Lanka
Pakistan have sacked T20I captain Salman Ali Agha following major tournament struggles against elite teams, appointing Asian Games silver-medallist Sahibzada Farhan to lead the side against Sri Lanka. The decision highlights ongoing leadership instability as head coach Mike Hesson and the PCB search for a long-term solution
Summary
Pakistan have sacked Salman Ali Agha as T20I captain and appointed opener Sahibzada Farhan to lead the side in the three-match home series against Sri Lanka, starting October 9 in Rawalpindi. The move follows a prolonged slump in the format and reflects the PCB's push for a longer-term leadership plan under head coach Mike Hesson.
Farhan was already captaining Pakistan's second-string squad at the 2026 Asian Games in Japan. He led them into the gold medal match for the first time, beating Bangladesh by six wickets in a rain-hit semi-final. Pakistan then lost the final to India by 19 runs, chasing 212 and finishing on 192/6, with Hasan Nawaz's 96 keeping them alive until the last over. They returned with silver. Farhan himself made just 1 and 10 in the two knockouts.
Agha led Pakistan in 36 T20Is, winning 22 and losing 14, a win rate of 61.11 per cent. The record, however, hid failures against the big sides. Pakistan lost three times to India at the 2025 Asia Cup, including the final, and were knocked out in the Super Eights at the 2026 T20 World Cup, missing the semi-finals.
Agha's exit is the latest round in Pakistan's game of musical chairs. Shaheen Shah Afridi was handed the T20I captaincy for a single series, Babar Azam returned and quit after the 2024 T20 World Cup, Mohammad Rizwan took charge of the white-ball sides, and Agha replaced him in T20Is in early 2025. Captains have come and gone, yet Pakistan have no major trophy to show for it.
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