Pakistan announce T20 squad for Australia series

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced the national squad for the T20 series against Australia, with Salman Ali Agha named as captain.

Babar Azam and Shaheen Shah Afridi have returned to the T20 squad, while Abdul Samad has been dropped. Fast bowler Haris Rauf has once again failed to secure a place in the national squad.

The squad includes Babar Azam, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah. Fakhar Zaman, Saim Ayub, Faheem Ashraf, Mohammad Wasim Jr and Mohammad Salman Mirza have also been named in the squad.

Abrar Ahmed, Mohammad Nawaz, Usman Tariq, Khawaja Mohammad Nafay, Sahibzada Farhan and Usman Khan are also part of the squad.

The Australian team will arrive in Pakistan on January 28, with matches scheduled to be played in Lahore on January 29 and 31, and February 1.

Meanwhile, national fast bowler Haris Rauf has responded to his exclusion from Pakistan’s squad for the T20 World Cup 2026. He said that not being included in the World Cup squad would certainly be disappointing, but he would not view it as the end of his career.

The Pakistan Cricket Board has not yet announced the final squad for the T20 World Cup, but recent reports have claimed that Haris Rauf could be left out.

Some reports suggest that white-ball head coach Mike Hesson is also not in favour of including the fast bowler.

Haris Rauf last represented Pakistan in a T20 international during the Asia Cup 2025 final against India on September 28, where he appeared under pressure and conceded 50 runs in 3.4 overs while Pakistan was defending a total of 146.

Following that performance, questions were raised about his ability to perform in big matches, and he has not been part of the national T20 side since.

He was also excluded from the T20 squads for the away series against Sri Lanka and the upcoming home series against Australia.

In a recent interview, Haris Rauf acknowledged that being overlooked for the World Cup squad was a possibility, but said he was approaching the situation with resilience.

“If I am not included in the T20 World Cup, it will definitely be disappointing, but it will not be the end of my career,” he said, adding that he continues to work hard on his bowling and will deliver his best performance whenever given the opportunity.

It is noteworthy that despite being out of the national team, Haris Rauf’s form remains impressive. Currently representing Melbourne Stars in Big Bash League 15, he is leading the wickets chart with 20 wickets in 11 matches — clear evidence of his capabilities.