Numbers ignored, performances forgotten: Wasim Jr left out as Pakistan name T20 World Cup squad

Lahore, 24 January 2026:

The Pakistan Cricket Board has announced a 15-member squad for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, where they are placed in Group A and scheduled to face Netherlands in their opening game on 7 February in Colombo.

The names were unveiled during a press conference addressed by the PCB Director High Performance and member men’s national selection committee Aqib Javed, Pakistan’s T20I captain Salman Ali Agha and white-ball head coach Michael James Hesson at the Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore on Sunday morning.

Among the players, skipper Salman Ali Agha, Faheem Ashraf, Khawaja Mohammad Nafay, Mohammad Salman Mirza, Sahibzada Farhan and Usman Tariq have received their maiden mega-event call-ups to the Pakistan squad.

Meanwhile, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Nawaz, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shadab Khan and Usman Khan have played in at least one or more editions of the tournament since 2021.

But scratch beneath the surface, and the selection tells a different story, one of inconsistency, selective memory, and a recurring pattern of rewarding reputation over results.

The pace bowling debate has once again taken centre stage. Naseem Shah’s inclusion was never in doubt, yet his T20I record continues to raise questions. In 34 matches, he has taken 30 wickets at an average of 33.16 with a strike rate of 24.4. Wasim Jr, in the same number of games, has claimed 42 wickets at an average of 21.5 and a vastly superior strike rate of 15.6, numbers that define a genuine T20 match-winner.

Beyond the statistics lies context, and that is where the frustration deepens. Wasim Jr was Pakistan’s best bowler in the 2022 T20 World Cup, delivering on the biggest stage when it mattered most. He followed that with strong performances in the ODI World Cup 2023, where Pakistan’s bowling unit struggled collectively, yet he remained one of the few bright spots. Still, he was dropped from the T20 World Cup 2024 squad.

After months of being benched, sidelined, or overlooked, Wasim Jr once again worked his way back into contention. But a single poor performance in a rain-affected match no less — has now seemingly erased years of impact, resulting in yet another World Cup omission.

The message, intentionally or not, is unsettling. Perform across tournaments, deliver in World Cups, and still find yourself expendable. Meanwhile, others continue to be backed despite modest returns, shielded by potential and past promise rather than present output.

Pakistan now head into Group A alongside defending champions India, Netherlands, USA and Namibia, beginning their campaign on February 7 in Colombo. In a format where margins are razor-thin and wickets win games, leaving out a proven T20 performer is a gamble that could haunt the selectors.

As Pakistan chase a second T20 World Cup title, the debate is no longer just about squad balance or combinations. It is about credibility.

Pakistan Squad for T20 World Cup 2026:

Salman Ali Agha (c), Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Khawaja Mohammad Nafay (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Salman Mirza, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan (wk), Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shadab Khan, Usman Khan, Usman Tariq