Sahibzada Farhan named Pakistan’s T20 captain as Naseem Shah returns

Pakistan has named Sahibzada Farhan as the new Twenty20 captain for a three-match home series against Sri Lanka. The leadership change sets the tone for the upcoming campaign in Rawalpindi.

Farhan steps into the role after guiding Pakistan to a silver medal at the Asian Games. The squad faced India in the final on Sunday and fell short.

The selectors recalled fast bowler Naseem Shah and batter Hasan Nawaz for the Twenty20 side. Shah last played this format at the T20 World Cup in February. Nawaz returns after a long absence that started in November.

Nawaz displayed his batting form during the Asian Games final, scoring 96 runs before a last-ball dismissal in a 19-run loss. Fast bowler Razaullah earned a spot in both the Twenty20 and one-day squads. He impressed during a Test debut against England in Birmingham last month.

Wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan missed out on selection due to an ongoing probe by the National Cyber Crime Investigation Authority. He was among seven players recalled to the country after the second Test loss at Lord’s in August. Khawaja Nafay will handle keeping duties for the Twenty20 matches, while Ghazi Ghori takes the role for the one-day games.

Shaheen Afridi remains the one-day international captain. His squad includes former Twenty20 skipper Salman Ali Agha and veteran opener Babar Azam. The Twenty20 series runs from October 9-13 in Rawalpindi, with the broader tri-series starting on October 18.