Pakistan recall THIS star for Sri Lanka T20I series, Babar & Shaheen stay in BBL

Pakistan have recalled all-rounder Shadab Khan for their upcoming T20I series in Sri Lanka next month. However, top batter Babar Azam and fast bowler Shaheen Afridi won’t be joining the team, as they continue to play in the Big Bash League (BBL) in Australia.

Shadab makes a comeback after surgery

Shadab is making a comeback for the three-match series starting January 7, 2026, after being out since June due to shoulder surgery. He recently returned to competitive cricket in the Big Bash League and has performed better than his fellow Pakistan teammates.

BBL stars continue in Australia

Other Pakistan players in the BBL-Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, and Muhammad Rizwan-won’t be called up and will stay in Australia for the season. All of them had agreed to return if the PCB needed them. But since the Pakistan Cricket Board had promised Cricket Australia that their players would be available for the entire BBL season, they decided the team could handle the Sri Lanka series with the current bench strength.

Apart from the selection of uncapped batter Khawaja Nafay and the recall of Abdul Samad, there are no big surprises in the 15-member squad led by Salman Ali Agha.

Khawaja Nafay’s inclusion raises eyebrows

The inclusion of Nafay is surprising, as he hasn’t been a standout performer in domestic cricket. This is notable because the series is an important warm-up ahead of the T20 World Cup, which will be held in India and Sri Lanka early next year.

Pakistan will play all their World Cup matches in Sri Lanka, and senior players had told the board that they wanted to take part in this series to get used to the local conditions.

Squad: Salman Ali Agha (c), Abdul Samad, Saim Ayub, Sahabzada Farhan, Fakhar Zaman, Shadab Khan, Faheem Ashraf, Muhammad Nawaz, Abrar Ahmed, Usman Tariq, Usman Khan, Khawaja Nafay, Naseem Shah, Salman Mirza and Muhammad Waseem junior.

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