Karachi, October 6,2026: Pakistan spinner Usman Tariq has broken his silence after being overlooked for the national team’s upcoming home white-ball assignments, posting a cryptic message on social media shortly after the squads were announced.
Tariq, who has represented Pakistan in nine T20 internationals and taken 18 wickets, shared an Instagram story that read: “The hardest part of wisdom is learning to stay silent when Ego wants to speak.”
The post came after the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced Pakistan’s squads for the upcoming three-match T20I series against Sri Lanka and the ODI tri-series involving England and Sri Lanka.
Tariq made a strong impact during Pakistan’s campaign at the 2026 T20 World Cup, finishing as the team’s leading wicket-taker in his debut international tournament.
The right-arm spinner claimed 10 wickets in six matches at an average of 14.10 and an economy rate of 7.23, ranking 13th among the tournament’s leading wicket-takers.
Despite his performances, Tariq was not selected for either of Pakistan’s squads for the upcoming home assignments.
Regular white-ball wicketkeepers Mohammad Rizwan and Usman Khan have also been omitted. Khawaja Nafay has been included in the T20I squad, while Ghazi Ghori and Saad Baig have been selected for the ODI side.
Another major change is the removal of Salman Ali Agha as Pakistan’s T20I captain. He has also been left out of the squad, with Sahibzada Farhan appointed as his successor after leading Pakistan to a silver medal at the 2026 Asian Games.
Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi, Mohammad Nawaz and Tariq, along with pacers Ali Raza, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Akif Javed and Ahmed Daniyal, were also part of Pakistan’s Asian Games campaign but have not been selected for the upcoming home series.
Pakistan will host Sri Lanka in a three-match T20I series at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, with matches scheduled for October 9, 11 and 13.
The T20I series will be followed by a seven-match ODI tri-series featuring Pakistan, England and Sri Lanka. The opening three matches will be played in Rawalpindi before the series moves to Lahore for the remaining league fixtures and the final.
