Pakistan Drop Agha as T20 Captain, Hand Farhan the Reins for Sri Lanka Series

Pakistan have made a dramatic leadership change, dropping Salman Ali Agha as T20 captain and leaving him out of the squad entirely for this month's series against Sri Lanka. The Pakistan Cricket Board confirmed the decision on Monday while announcing squads for the T20 series and the ODI tri-series against Sri Lanka and England.

Sahibzada Farhan takes charge of the T20 side after a breakthrough year that saw him guide Pakistan to Asian Games silver and finish as the leading run-scorer at the T20 World Cup in March, amassing 383 runs at a strike rate of 160. It is a bold appointment that signals a fresh direction for a team under pressure after recent disappointments.

Agha remains part of the ODI plans, where Shaheen Shah Afridi keeps the captaincy for the tri-series beginning October 18, and former skipper Babar Azam returns to the ODI squad. The three-match T20 series against Sri Lanka starts Friday in Rawalpindi — Farhan's first real test as leader.