Pakistan squad for Sri Lanka series: Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi miss out; Shadab recalled

Pakistan has recalled all-rounder Shadab Khan for next month’s T20I series in Sri Lanka, but Babar Azam and Shaheen Afridi, who are currently playing in the Big Bash League (BBL) in Australia, have missed out.

Shadab makes a comeback for the three-match series beginning January 7, 2026, after being sidelined since June this year due to a shoulder surgery. He returned to competitive cricket with a stint in the BBL this month, where he has performed better than his other compatriots.

Babar, Shaheen, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali and Muhammad Rizwan, the other Pakistan players in the BBL, failed to make the cut.

The selection of uncapped batter Khawaja Nafay comes as a surprise, given that this is a crucial series ahead of the T20 World Cup being hosted by India and Sri Lanka early next year.

Nafay, who has scored 688 runs in 32 T20s at a strike rate of 132.81, had impressed for Quetta Gladiators in this season’s Pakistan Super League.

Pakistan will play all its World Cup matches in Sri Lanka, and the senior players had conveyed to the board that they wanted to play in the series as it would be a good opportunity to adjust to the conditions there.

(with inputs from PTI)

Published on Dec 28, 2025