Pakistan begin home T20 season with new captain Sahibzada Farhan vs Sri Lanka

RAWALPINDI, Pakistan (AP) — Pakistan starts its home cricket season with a third Twenty20 captain in as many years when Sahibzada Farhan leads against Sri Lanka in a three-match series from Friday.

The previous three Pakistan T20 skippers — Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi, Salman Ali Agha — were no longer part of the team as the selectors looked to prepare for the T20 World Cup in 2028.

Opening batter Farhan led Pakistan to the silver medal at the recent Asian Games in Japan.

“I’m quite excited with this new (captaincy) challenge,” Farhan said on Thursday at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. “You guys hope for the best and Inshallah (God willing) we will try to win the series.”

Rawalpindi will host all the three T20s over the next five days. England then joins Pakistan and Sri Lanka for a one-day international tri-series at Rawalpindi and Lahore from Oct. 18.

After being left out of the Asian Games, Fakhar Zaman, fast bowler Naseem Shah and allrounder Shadab Khan have been recalled by Pakistan.

“This team is a mixture of youngsters and a few comebacks, especially Fakhar and Shadab,” Farhan said. “I am quite comfortable with both of them. They are seniors and I will learn a lot from them.”

Farhan said the T20 door hadn't shut on the previous captains, and they could walk in “anytime.”

“They are one of the best players in the world,” he said. “I have to play with the best 15 I have been given (by the selectors). They can make a comeback anytime. The doors are open for everyone.”

Sri Lanka made wholesale changes after a 3-0 drubbing in England in T20s. Left out were Charith Asalanka, Dilshan Madushanka and Janith Liyanage, and premier leg-spinner Wanindu Hasaranga will miss the series due to injury.

But captain Kusal Mendis, who was also named Sri Lanka’s new test captain after Dhananjaya de Silva stepped down on Thursday, was confident that friendlier batting pitches will be on offer in Pakistan.

“In England we had a little bit of a bad series in T20s,” Mendis said. “The batters know how to play in T20 games in Pakistan, (where) conditions are different compared to England.”

Sri Lanka was the only team which has inflicted a T20 whitewash on Pakistan in Pakistan after an inexperienced team led by Dasun Shanaka swept the 2019 series 3-0. But Mendis was vary of a Pakistan pace attack which includes uncapped, six-hitting sensation Razaullah.

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