Sahibzada Farhan to replace Salman Ali Agha as Pakistan captain

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has been considering removing Salman Ali Agha as T20I captain ahead of the home series against Sri Lanka, with opener Sahibzada Farhan expected to become the side's new full-time captain in the shortest format.

Farhan is currently in Japan, preparing for the upcoming Men’s Asian Games 2026, where they will play their opening game on September 28 at the Korogi Sports Park in Nisshin. After that competition, they will take on Sri Lanka in the three-match T20I series on October 09, 11, and 13, in Rawalpindi.

PCB considering Sahibzada Farhan as full-time T20I captain for Sri Lanka series

Sahibzada Farhan recently took charge of the Pakistan side at the 2026 Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan. His appointment has prompted reports that the board could continue with him as the leader for the Sri Lanka series. The white-ball coach, Mike Hesson, has spoken about the speculation.

Hesson claimed the Asian Games leadership was a chance for the batter to gain experience in tactical decision-making and handling pressure at the international level. The head coach stated that his role shouldn’t be displayed as a formal audition for the permanent T20I captaincy.

Farhan has previous captaincy experience in domestic cricket as he has led the Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) in the President’s Trophy and has captained the Peshawar Regional setup. For Salman Agha, meanwhile, his batting issues have been a concern for the national side in the shortest format.

Salman Ali Agha's T20I captaincy record and what's next for Pakistan vs Sri Lanka

Since the beginning of 2025, Farhan is the leading run-getter for Pakistan in the T20Is. He has smashed 1219 runs in 36 innings at an average of 24.74 and a fine strike rate of 140.93, thanks to his 10 fifties and a couple of centuries, with the best score of unbeaten 100 runs.

Agha, despite being second on the list with 866 runs, has played 43 innings and has a strike rate of just 127.16 with six fifties in his name. In the same period, Pakistan have played 46 T20Is and have won 29, most of which came against Zimbabwe, UAE, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and others.

The 2009 T20 Champions will hope for more improvement in the T20Is and continue the good work, bringing more young players into the setup ahead of the upcoming T20 World Cup 2028. And the Sri Lanka series could be the best part of the preparation.