The Pakistan T20I squad is a dynamic and evolving force in international cricket, currently undergoing a strategic rebuilding phase under the leadership of Salman Ali Agha as captain and Shadab Khan as vice-captain. Coached by Mike Hesson, the team is actively preparing for major upcoming tournaments, including the ACC Men’s T20 Asia Cup 2025 and the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026.
Known for their “unpredictability factor” and a “fierce pace-bowling department,” Pakistan has a rich T20 World Cup history, having lifted the trophy in 2009 and reaching the finals in 2022. While recent squad selections have seen established stars like Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, and Shaheen Afridi rested from T20Is to focus on longer formats, this move is designed to provide extensive opportunities for promising young talents. With a blend of experienced players like Fakhar Zaman and Hasan Ali, alongside exciting prospects such as Saim Ayub and Naseem Shah, the Pakistan T20I squad is poised for an exciting period of growth and competition on the global stage.
| PLAYER NAME | ROLE | STYLE | JERSEY NO |
|---|---|---|---|
| Salman Ali Agha (Captain) | Allrounder | Batting: Right-Handed Bowling: Right arm Offbreak | 67 |
| Shadab Khan (Vice Captain) | Allrounder | Batting: Right-hand bat Bowling: Legbreak | 7 |
| Babar Azam | Batter | Batting: Right-hand bat Bowling: Right-arm off-break | 56 |
| Fakhar Zaman | Batter | Batting: Left-hand bat Bowling: Slow Left arm Orthodox | 39 |
| Haris Rauf | Bowler | Batting: Right-hand bat Bowling: Right arm Fast | 97 |
| Mohammad Rizwan | Wicketkeeper | Batting: Right-hand bat Bowling: – | 16 |
| Naseem Shah | Bowler | Batting: Right-hand bat Bowling: Right arm Fast | 71 |
| Iftikhar Ahmed | Batter | Batting: Right-hand bat Bowling: Right-arm off-break | 95 |
| Shaheen Shah Afridi | Bowler | Batting: Left-hand bat Bowling: Left arm Fast | 10 |
| Azam Khan | Wicketkeeper | Batting: Right-hand bat | 77 |
| Imad Wasim | Allrounder | Batting: Left-hand bat Bowling: Slow Left arm Orthodox | 9 |
| Saim Ayub | Batter | Batting: Right-hand bat Bowling: Right-arm off-break, Right arm Fast medium | – |
| Abrar Ahmed | Bowler | Batting: Right-hand bat Bowling: Legbreak Googly | – |
| Mohammad Abbas Afridi | Bowler | Batting: Right-handed Bowling: Right-arm medium-fast | 55 |
| Mohammad Amir | Bowler | Batting: Left-handed Bowling: Left-arm fast | 05 |
| Usman Khan | Batter | Batting: Right-handed Bowling: Right-arm off-break | 78 |
| Mohammad Haris | Wicketkeeper | Batting: Right-handed Batsman Bowling: Right arm off-break | 63 |
| Haseebullah Khan | Wicketkeeper | Batting: Left-Handed | 53 |
| Rohail Nazir | Wicketkeeper | Batting: Right-Handed | – |
| Sahibzada Farhan | Batter | Batting: Right-Handed | 51 |
| Omair Yousuf | Batter | Batting: Right-Handed | 100 |
| Mirza Baig | Batter | Batting: Right-Handed | 15 |
| Khushdil Shah | Batter | Batting: Left-handed Bowling: Slow left-arm orthodox | 72 |
| Haider Ali | Batter | Batting: Right-handed | 46 |
| Asif Ali | Batter | Batting: Right-handed Bowling: Right-arm medium | 45 |
| Shan Masood | Batter | Batting: Left-hand Bat Bowling: Right arm Medium fast | 94 |
| Abdullah Shafique | Batter | Batting: Right-hand bat Bowling: Right-arm off-break | 57 |
| Mohammad Nawaz | Allrounder | Batting: Left Handed Bat Bowling: Right-arm Medium | 21 |
| MOHAMMAD WASIM | Allrounder | Batting: Right Handed Bat Bowling: Right-arm fast-medium | 74 |
| Faheem Ashraf | Allrounder | Batting: Left-Handed Bowling: Right arm Medium | 41 |
| Qasim Akram | Allrounder | Batting: Right-Handed Bowling: Right arm Offbreak | 49 |
| Mubasir Khan | Allrounder | Batting: Right-Handed Bowling: Right arm Offbreak | 53 |
| Usama Mir | Bowler | Batting: Right-hand bat Bowling: Legbreak | 23 |
| Sufiyan Muqeem | Bowler | Batting: Left-Handed Bowling: Left arm Wrist spin | – |
| Arshad Iqbal | Bowler | Batting: Right-Handed Bowling: Right arm medium Fast | – |
| Arafat Minhas | Allrounder | Batting: Right-Handed Bowling: Slow Left arm Orthodox | – |
| Zaman Khan | Bowler | Batting: Right-Handed Bowling: Right arm Fast | 27 |
| Usman Qadir | Bowler | Batting: Left-handed Bowling: Right arm Legbreak | – |
| Ihsanullah | Bowler | Batting: Right-Handed Bowling: Right arm Fast | 50 |
| Mohammad Ali | Bowler | Batting: Right-Handed Bowling: Right arm medium Fast | – |
| Abdul Samad | Batter | Batting: Right-Handed | – |
| Hasan Ali | Bowler | Batting: Right-Handed Bowling: Right arm medium Fast | 32 |
| Hasan Nawaz | Batter | Batting: Right-Handed Bowling: Right arm medium | 7 |
| Salman Mirza | Bowler | Batting: Right hand Bat Bowling: Left arm Fast | – |
| Tayyab Tahir | Batter | Batting: Right-Handed Bowling: Legbreak Googly | 66 |
| Irfan Khan | Batter | Batting: Right-Handed Bowling: Right arm medium Fast | 80 |
| Jahandad Khan | Allrounder | Batting: Left -Handed Bowling: Left arm Medium fast | 58 |
| Mohammad Hasnain | Bowler | Batting: Right-Handed Bowling: Right arm Fast | 87 |
About Pakistan T20I Squad
Captain – Salman Agha
Vice Captain – Shadab Khan
Head Coach – Mike Hesson
Batting /Bowling Coach – Muhammad Hanif Malik, Ashley Noffke
Fielding/Assistant Coach – Shane McDermott/Azhar Mahmood
History and Key Events
Recent Squad Overhauls: On May 21, 2025, the Pakistan cricket team announced nine changes to their squad for the Bangladesh T20Is, a significant shift from the team that toured New Zealand earlier in the year.
Exclusion of Senior Players: A notable development is the absence of key players like Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, and Shaheen Afridi from the Bangladesh T20I squad. While Rizwan and Babar were already rested for the New Zealand T20I tour, Shaheen Afridi was dropped after not impressing in New Zealand. Reports indicate that selectors, including Aqib Javed, Aleem Dar, Azhar Ali, and Asad Shafiq, along with head coach Mike Hesson, have advised these senior players to focus on the ICC World Test Championship and ODIs. This strategy aims to provide ample opportunities for new and young players in the T20 format.
Upcoming Series and Tournaments:
- A three-match T20I series against Bangladesh is scheduled from July 20 to 24 in Dhaka at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium.
- Pakistan is set to tour the West Indies in late July for three T20Is and three ODIs. The squad for this series will be announced later.
- Discussions are underway to potentially expand the Bangladesh T20I series to five matches in August and to convert ODI matches against West Indies into additional T20Is.
- Pakistan is also expected to host Afghanistan for a T20 series in late August.
- These upcoming series are crucial for Pakistan’s preparations for the ACC Men’s T20 Asia Cup 2025 (scheduled for September 2025) and the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 (February/March 2026), which will be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka.
New Zealand Tour 2025: Pakistan played a five-match T20I series against New Zealand from March 16-26, 2025.
Records and Achievements
T20 World Cup Success: Pakistan has a strong history in the T20 World Cup, famously winning the tournament in 2009. They reached the semi-final of the 2021 T20 World Cup and were finalists in 2022, losing to England, a match partly affected by an injury to Shaheen Afridi.
Unpredictability Factor: Pakistan’s “unpredictability factor” is considered both a significant strength—as “any player can do wonders for Pakistan on any given day”—and a potential weakness, evidenced by past losses to lower-ranked teams like Ireland and a one-run defeat to Zimbabwe in the 2022 T20 World Cup league stage.
Pace-Bowling Department: Pakistan boasts a “fierce pace-bowling department” which is widely regarded as one of the best globally, capable of posing significant challenges to opposition teams.
Strike Rate Concerns: A notable area of concern, particularly in T20Is, has been the relatively low strike rates of senior players like Babar Azam (129.91 in T20Is) and Mohammad Rizwan (128.07 in T20Is). This has drawn criticism and is seen as a potential impediment to the team’s aggressive T20 approach.
Domestic Performance Recognition: Several players have earned their spots in recent squads based on strong domestic performances:
- Abdul Samad scored 115 runs at a strike-rate of 166.67 in the Champions T20 Cup.
- Hasan Nawaz was the second-leading run-getter in the Champions T20 Cup, scoring 312 runs at a strike-rate of 142.47.
- Mohammad Ali was the leading wicket-taker in the Champions T20 Cup with 22 wickets.
Individual Captaincy Success: Shaheen Afridi has notably led the Lahore Qalandars franchise to three Pakistan Super League (PSL) titles in five years, showcasing his leadership abilities in the T20 format.
Famous Players
Salman Ali Agha (Captain): The current T20I captain, Salman Ali Agha has taken on a leadership role as Pakistan looks towards the 2025 Asia Cup and 2026 T20 World Cup. He’s a middle-order batter known for his steady presence.
Shadab Khan (Vice-Captain): A dynamic all-rounder, Shadab Khan is a crucial leg-spin bowler and a powerful lower-order hitter. He serves as the T20I vice-captain, though he’s currently recovering from a shoulder injury.
Babar Azam: A world-class batsman and former captain, Babar Azam is renowned for his elegant stroke play and consistent scoring in all formats. While currently rested from T20Is to focus on Tests and ODIs, he remains one of Pakistan’s most famous cricketing figures.
Mohammad Rizwan: An accomplished wicketkeeper-batsman, Mohammad Rizwan is known for his aggressive opening partnerships and ability to finish games. Like Babar, he’s currently focusing on the longer formats of the game.
Shaheen Shah Afridi: A fierce left-arm fast bowler, Shaheen Afridi is a key wicket-taker, particularly with the new ball. Despite being rested from recent T20Is, his impact and fame, especially as a successful PSL captain, are undeniable.
Fakhar Zaman: An aggressive opening batsman, Fakhar Zaman is known for his ability to provide quick starts and play impactful innings. He has recently returned to the T20I squad after recovering from injury.
Haris Rauf: A vital component of Pakistan’s potent pace attack, Haris Rauf delivers raw pace and death-over expertise. He is currently recovering from a hamstring injury.
Saim Ayub: An exciting young top-order batsman, Saim Ayub has shown promise with his aggressive approach and is considered a future star for Pakistan in T20Is. He’s back in the squad after an injury layoff.
Naseem Shah: Another talented young fast bowler, Naseem Shah has quickly made a name for himself with his pace and swing. He’s an important part of Pakistan’s fast-bowling arsenal.
Hasan Ali: A lively fast bowler known for his wicket-taking ability and enthusiastic celebrations, Hasan Ali has made a comeback to the T20I side.
Mohammad Nawaz: A left-arm orthodox spinner and a handy lower-order batsman, Mohammad Nawaz provides crucial balance to the T20I squad.
Mohammad Haris: A dynamic wicketkeeper-batsman, Mohammad Haris is known for his aggressive batting at the top of the order and his ability to score quickly.
FAQs
Salman Ali Agha is the current T20I captain for Pakistan.
Shadab Khan is the vice-captain for the Pakistan T20I side.
Mike Hesson is the newly appointed head coach for the Pakistan white-ball team.
Squad Composition and Player Status
They were not included in recent T20I squads, such as for the Bangladesh series, because selectors have advised them to focus on the ICC World Test Championship and ODIs. This strategy aims to give more opportunities to new, young players in the T20 format.
Saim Ayub and Fakhar Zaman have recently returned to the T20I squad after recovering from injuries.
Upcoming Matches and Tournament Preparations
Pakistan is scheduled to play a three-match T20I series against Bangladesh in July, tour the West Indies for T20Is in late July, and is expected to host Afghanistan for a T20 series in late August. These series are part of their preparation for the ACC Men’s T20 Asia Cup 2025 and the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026.
Team Performance and Characteristics
Pakistan famously won the T20 World Cup in 2009. They also reached the semi-final in 2021 and were finalists in 2022.
Pakistan’s “unpredictability factor” is seen as a major strength, where “any player can do wonders for Pakistan on any given day.” Their “fierce pace-bowling department” is also considered one of the best.
A perceived weakness has been the below-par strike rates of players like Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan in T20Is, which has drawn criticism.
Player Achievements
Shaheen Afridi has successfully led the Lahore Qalandars franchise to three Pakistan Super League (PSL) titles.