Usman Tariq Shares Cryptic Message Following Omission From Pakistan Squad
Usman Tariq has given his first reaction after being left out of Pakistan’s squads for their upcoming white-ball matches at home. The spinner shared a cryptic Instagram story shortly after the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) revealed the squads for the T20I series and the ODI tri-series with England and Sri Lanka.
The exclusion of Tariq from Pakistan’s squads has also been questioned by many fans, as he has performed exceptionally well for the green shirts over the last few months. The spinner has now broken his silence on social media as well, hinting at his unhappiness with the management’s selection criteria.
“The hardest part of wisdom is learning to stay silent when ego wants to speak,” wrote Usman Tariq in an Instagram story.
Usman Tariq quickly made a name for himself during Pakistan’s run at the 2026 T20 World Cup, which was held in India and Sri Lanka. The spinner delivered strong performances in several games during the tournament, which helped him get the attention of cricket fans around the world.
Notably, it was Tariq’s first international tournament, but he ended it as Pakistan’s top wicket-taker. He picked up 10 wickets in six matches at an average of 14.10 and an economy rate of 7.23, which placed him 13th among the tournament’s leading wicket-takers.
Despite those numbers, Tariq has not found a place in either of Pakistan’s squads for the upcoming home series against Sri Lanka and England. This decision has raised concerns among fans, leading them to question how the selectors pick squads for different international assignments.
Besides Tariq’s omission, the selectors have also made a major change to the team’s T20I leadership, with Salman Ali Agha no longer part of the squad or the captaincy setup. Sahibzada Farhan has taken over the role after guiding Pakistan to a silver medal at the 2026 Asian Games, where they were beaten by India in the final.
Talking about the upcoming fixtures, Pakistan will begin the three-match T20I series against Sri Lanka at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on October 9. The remaining games are scheduled for October 11 and 13.
Following the completion of the T20I series, the action will move to the ODI tri-series, in which Pakistan, Sri Lanka and England will play a total of seven matches. Rawalpindi will host the first three games before the series moves to Lahore for the remaining matches and the final.
