Pakistan have named their 15-man squad for the T20 World Cup 2026, but their participation in the tournament is not yet confirmed as it waits on final government approval. The announcement comes amid growing uncertainty following fresh developments in international cricket governance.
PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi had earlier raised doubts over Pakistan’s participation in the tournament, especially after Bangladesh’s elimination from contention. Despite that uncertainty, the Pakistan Cricket Board has gone ahead and announced its squad well in time before the deadline.
Squad Largely Mirrors Australia T20I Series Team
The selected squad bears a resemblance to the squad selected for the forthcoming bilateral T20 International series against Australia, scheduled to begin on January 29. The prominent omission from this lineup against Australia is the exclusion of fast bowler Mohammad Wasim Jr., as he was not selected in the squad for the T20 World Cup 2026.
Head Coach Clarifies Selection Decision
Aaqib Javed, the head coach of Pakistan, stressed it should not give any indication of their participation in the tournament.
“Our job is to select the team, we have done that close to the deadline, but it is entirely the government’s call on how they want to participate,” said Javed, echoing the chairman’s remarks that “we will wait for a government directive.”
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Such comments highlight the fact that the process of squad selections remains separate from the politics of the tournament.
Pakistan’s World Cup Squad for T20 World Cup 2026
Below is the officially announced Pakistan’s World Cup Squad:
Salman Agha (Captain)
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Abrar Ahmed
Babar Azam
Faheem Ashraf
Fakhar Zaman
Khawaja Nafay (Wicketkeeper)
Mohammad Nawaz
Salman Mirza
Naseem Shah
Sahibzada Farhan (Wicketkeeper)
Saim Ayub
Shaheen Shah Afridi
Shadab Khan
Usman Khan (Wicketkeeper)
Usman Tariq
What Lies Ahead for Pakistan
However, while critics and supporters may go into an analytical study of the merits of Pakistan’s World Cup Squad, the last judgment regarding their presence at the T20 World Cup 2026 will depend solely upon the government.
Thus, for Pakistan, their tour will remain suspended as long as the government has yet to make an announcement regarding their presence. Furthermore, their squad comprises strong and well-balanced players.
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