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Babar Azam replaced; No Shaheen, Hasan Nawaz back? Pakistan strongest squad for SL T20Is

Debashis Sarangi

Babar, Shaheen could miss SL T20Is due to BBL [Source: AFP, @mufaddal_vohra/X]Babar, Shaheen could miss SL T20Is due to BBL [Source: AFP, @mufaddal_vohra/X]

After securing an emphatic triumph in the T20I tri-series at home, Pakistan are preparing to take on Sri Lanka in three matches in their backyard. The highly anticipated series will serve as Pakistan's final dress rehearsal for the T20 World Cup 2026. 

Led by Agha Salman, Pakistan have had a fruitful year in T20Is, winning 21 of 34 matches. Apart from finishing the Asia Cup as the runners-up, Pakistan secured convincing wins against South Africa and in the tri-series as well. 

As they get ready to cross swords against the Lankans before the T20 World Cup, here we analyse to find Pakistan's strongest possible squad for the much-awaited assignment. 

Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi among PAK players who might miss SL T20Is due to BBL

Pakistan's several marquee players, including Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, and Shadab Khan, are currently playing the Big Bash League. While Babar represents the Sydney Sixers, Shaheen, Rauf, and Shadab play for the Brisbane Heat, Melbourne Stars, and Sydney Thunder, respectively. 

As revealed by Cricket Australia's CEO, Todd Greenberg, these Pakistani players have been signed for the entire BBL season. This is the reason why they might miss the Sri Lanka T20Is, which commence on January 7. 

Maaz Sadaqat: Babar Azam's potential replacement for SL T20Is

Criterion
Data
Innings5
Runs258
Average129
Strike Rate177.93

(Maaz Sadaqat's stats in Asia Cup Rising Stars)

  • As evidenced by the above stats, Maaz Sadaqat enjoyed stellar success in the Asia Cup Rising Stars, powering the Pakistan Shaheens to the title with his incredible batsmanship. He smashed 258 runs at a blistering strike rate of 177.93 and is the ideal replacement for Babar Azam, with the latter committed to the BBL. 
  • After making his T20I comeback, Babar Azam has scored 206 runs at an average of 34.33 and a strike rate of 114.44. If he misses the Sri Lanka series, Maaz Sadaqat could be the most suitable candidate to form Pakistan's top order with Saim Ayub and Sahibzada Farhan. 
  • While Farhan's consistency makes him a certain starter in Pakistan's playing XI, Ayub can chip in with a few overs of spin bowling apart from scoring brisk runs in the powerplay. 

Who will come in for Shaheen Afridi?

Shaheen Afridi might also miss the Sri Lanka series due to his participation in the BBL. Pakistan are likely to pick Mohammad Wasim, Naseem Shah and Salman Mirza as their frontline pacers, as these bowlers were also a part of their squad for the T20I tri-series. 

In fact, Salman Mirza has been impressive in limited opportunities and seems to be the perfect candidate to spearhead the Pakistani pace attack with Naseem Shah and Wasim Jr in Shaheen's absence. 

Criterion
Data
Matches11
Wickets16
Average16.56
Strike Rate15.6
Economy6.36

(Salman Mirza in T20Is)

As evidenced by the above stats, Salman Mirza has been magnificent with the ball, and the Sri Lanka T20Is give him a valuable opportunity to present a strong case for his inclusion in Pakistan's T20 World Cup squad. 

Faheem Ashraf, who has scalped 24 wickets in T20I cricket this year, is also expected to play a crucial role for the visitors as an all-rounder on the Sri Lanka tour. 

So, given that Pakistan will have four genuine fast bowling options, they should ideally pick the wily Faisal Akram to capitalise on Sri Lanka's spin-friendly tracks. Akram recently bagged 15 wickets in seven innings in the Top End T20 and could be a vital cog in Pakistan's T20 World Cup setup, given that they will play all their matches in Sri Lanka. 

Agha, Fakhar, Nawaz to form Pakistan's core group with Farhan and Saim

Allrounder Agha Salman, who didn't get an NOC from the PCB to play in global T20 leagues like the BPL and BBL, will lead Pakistan in the T20I series against Sri Lanka. While he brings immense all-round value, Fakhar Zaman will likely form Pakistan's middle-order core with the in-form Mohammad Nawaz (362 runs, SR- 138.17, 36 wickets). 

Meanwhile, given that Pakistan's middle order is still a work in progress, they might recall Hasan Nawaz to add dynamism to their lineup. In 24 innings, Nawaz has struck 457 runs at a blistering strike rate of 154.4, and if he returns, Abdul Samad could be the one making room for him in the Pakistan squad. 

Pakistan's strongest T20I squad for Sri Lanka series

Salman Agha (c), Hasan Nawaz, Abrar Ahmed, Maaz Sadaqat, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Wasim, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Mirza, Faisal Akram, Usman Khan and Usman Tariq