Massive Shake-Up in Pakistan Team: Babar, Shaheen Dropped; Salman Agha Loses Captaincy

Pakistan has initiated a major overhaul of its T20I squad, dropping senior stars Babar Azam, Shaheen Shah Afridi, and Haris Rauf ahead of their upcoming series against Sri Lanka. Salman Ali Agha has also lost both his T20I captaincy and place in the squad, with Sahibzada Farhan named as the new skipper after leading Pakistan to a silver medal at the 2026 Asian Games.

Several young prospects have earned call-ups following strong recent performances, including Hasan Nawaz, Arafat Minhas, Maaz Sadaqat, and Razaullah. Although excluded from T20Is, Babar, Haris, Salman, and Shaheen remain central to Pakistan's ODI plans, with Shaheen retaining his role as captain for the forthcoming ODI tri-series against England and Sri Lanka.