Farhan takes Pakistan T20I reins

Pakistan have appointed Sahibzada Farhan as their new T20I captain ahead of this week’s three-match home series against Sri Lanka. Farhan, Pakistan’s fourth T20I captain in two and a half years, led a second-string team in the Asian Games in Japan where they lost to arch-rivals India in the final on Saturday. While no reason was given for removing Salman Agha, Pakistan selectors had hinted they were looking at building the team for the Twenty20 World Cup 2028, to be co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand. Under Agha, Pakistan won 31 of 50 T20Is but failed to progress to the semi-finals in this year’s World Cup. Both Shaheen and Babar Azam — another former T20I captain — are not part of the 15-member squad which will take on Sri Lanka on October 9, 11 and 13 in Rawalpindi. Allrounder Razaullah is rewarded with a maiden call in both squads following his brilliant Test debut against England at Edgbaston last month, hitting 81 and taking four wickets. Shaheen will continue to lead Pakistan’s one-day side, which will play a tri-series against Sri Lanka and England starting October 18 in Rawalpindi. Senior wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan — dropped from the T20I squad earlier this year — is also removed from the ODI side. Rizwan faces an investigation by Pakistan’s cybercrime agency on charges of leaking team information. Pakistan T20I squad: Sahibzada Farhan (captain), Abdul Samad, Abrar Ahmed, Arafat Minhas, Fakhar Zaman, Hasan Nawaz, Muhammad Imran, Khawaja Nafay, Maaz Sadaqat, Naseem Shah, Razaullah, Saim Ayub, Mohammad Salman Mirza, Shadab Khan, Sufiyan Moqim Pakistan ODI squad: Shaheen Shah Afridi (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Salman Ali Agha, Arafat Minhas, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Muhammad Ghazi Ghori, Haris Rauf, Hasan Nawaz, Naseem Shah, Razaullah, Saad Baig, Saim Ayub, Shadab Khan, Sufiyan Moqim – AFP Photo: Robert Cianflone/Getty Images