Pakistan begin T20 World Cup 2026 preparations without key stars in crucial Sri Lanka series

Pakistan’s preparations for the T20 World Cup 2026 will begin with a few big question marks as four key players are missing from the T20I squad for the upcoming three-match series against Sri Lanka. The absence of Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, Shaheen Afridi and Haris Rauf means this very important series will be incomplete in terms of Pakistan’s World Cup readiness.

Pakistan have a long history of faltering at major ICC tournaments. In the last edition of the T20 World Cup, they suffered a shock defeat to the USA, an associate side that had never beaten a top-10 ICC-ranked team until just a few months earlier, when they pulled off a historic series win against Bangladesh. They did reach the final of the 2022 edition, but that run was also not without a few upsets and heavy defeats along the way.

The Sri Lanka series was supposed to help Pakistan fine-tune their combination ahead of the ICC tournament, which will be held in India and Sri Lanka from February 7 to March 8. However, with these senior players busy playing in Australia’s Big Bash League, the team management will not get a clear idea of their strongest XI in match conditions similar to the World Cup.

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Uncertain future for Babar and Rizwan?

Among the missing names, Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan are already under pressure, with their places in Pakistan’s T20 setup no longer guaranteed. Their absence may suggest that the selectors are open to moving on from the long-time opening pair and testing fresh options. They had also missed out on the Asia Cup 2025 squad. Although Babar returned for the Pakistan T20I tri-series in November this year, he failed to deliver with the bat.

On the other hand, Shaheen Afridi and Haris Rauf were widely expected to be key players at the T20 World Cup 2026. Both fast bowlers were part of the squad that reached the final of the ACC T20 Asia Cup 2025, even though Pakistan struggled badly against India in that tournament and lost all three matches against their biggest rivals, including the summit clash.

Why Sri Lanka series is important?

While the PCB and team management may believe that Shaheen and Rauf are gaining valuable experience by playing in the BBL, the conditions in Australia are very different from those in Sri Lanka. Pakistan’s World Cup matches will be played in Colombo, where slower pitches and humidity could play a big role.

Because of the arrangement between the BCCI and PCB, backed by the ICC, Pakistan will play all their games at neutral venues in Sri Lanka, making the upcoming series in those conditions even more important for preparation. Missing out on this series could hurt the team’s overall readiness.

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The absence of these senior players also raises the possibility that the PCB is considering a World Cup squad without some of them or maybe all of them. This series will give opportunities to others to step up and prove their worth. Uncapped wicketkeeper-batter Khawaja Nafay is one such player. The 23-year-old has earned his maiden call-up after steady performances for Pakistan Shaheens.

Shadab Khan’s return is another major talking point. The all-rounder, who last played in June, is back after recovering from shoulder surgery. Salman Ali Agha will continue as captain of the revamped squad. Even though there are a lot of questions around his current form, he is expected to lead the side in the World Cup.

Pakistan will travel to Sri Lanka in the first week of January, with all three matches scheduled at the Rangiri Dambulla International Cricket Stadium on January 7, 9 and 11. These games will be Pakistan’s final chance to experiment and lock in combinations before the World Cup. They are placed in Group B alongside India, Namibia, the Netherlands and the USA.