Pakistan T20I captain Salman Ali Agha opens up on changes in World Cup squad

LAHORE: Pakistan T20I captain Salman Ali Agha believes that there will be no major changes in the final T20 World Cup squad, saying the same combination which played in the series against South Africa and the T20I tri-series featuring Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe will continue.

Pakistan made major changes to its squad after a defeat in the T20I Asia Cup 2025 final against India. Abdul Samad, Babar Azam, Usman Khan and Naseem Shah returned to the team, while Usman Tariq was included for the first time.

However, Samad got injured during the practice session of the tri-nation series, and he was replaced by Hasan Nawaz.

The major players who were left out after the Asia Cup include Mohammad Haris, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Haris Rauf, Sufiyan Muqeem and Hasan Ali.

Talking about the team combination and players' roles, Agha said he doesn’t think there will be any major changes before the World Cup.

He said that all players have been assigned their roles and the team will move forward with those responsibilities.

“I don’t think there will be any major changes before the World Cup; this will be the combination. All players have been given their roles, and we will move forward with these roles,” Agha said.

Agha added that six T20I matches remain before the World Cup, and we cannot make big changes in these matches.

“Six matches are left before the T20 World Cup, we will have to play with consistency. We cannot make big changes in these six matches,” he added.

Reflecting on the past six months' performance, Salman Ali Agha said that we have played with this group for six months, and the results are now starting to appear.

He also showed his desire to win the T20I World Cup 2026 and the ODI World Cup 2027.

“We have played with this group for six months, and the results have started to come. I want us to win the 2026 T20 World Cup and then the 2027 ODI World Cup. Winning both World Cups is my dream; if it happens, I will be very happy,” Agha said.

He confirmed that he will continue as a captain in the T20 World Cup and emphasised the role of senior players on Sri Lankan pitches for the upcoming mega event.

“As of now, Pakistan will play the T20 World Cup under my captaincy. Senior players understand Sri Lankan pitches; the Sri Lanka series will benefit the new players before the World Cup,” Agha concluded.