Usman Tariq has broken his silence after being left out of Pakistan&rsquo;s squad for the upcoming T20I series against Sri Lanka, posting a cryptic message on Instagram shortly after the squad announcement.

The off-spinner shared a quote that appeared to reflect his mood following the decision.

&ldquo;The hardest part of wisdom is learning to stay silent when Ego wants to speak.&rdquo;

Tariq was among the other names missing from the latest Pakistan T20i squad, alongside <a bis_size="{&quot;x&quot;:20,&quot;y&quot;:269,&quot;w&quot;:275,&quot;h&quot;:35,&quot;abs_x&quot;:725,&quot;abs_y&quot;:969}" href="https://www.tapmad.com/blog/pakistan-t20i-squad-babar-azam-salman-agha-seven-players-dropped/8377-5-0">Babar Azam, Salman Agha and Shaheen Shah Afridi</a>. His omission is particularly interesting given the impact he made during the 2026 T20 World Cup.

https://www.tapmad.com/blog/pakistan-t20i-squad-babar-azam-salman-agha-seven-players-dropped/8377-5-0

He entered that tournament as Pakistan&rsquo;s surprise package and backed up the billing with eight wickets in four matches, finishing as the country&rsquo;s leading wicket-taker in the competition.

His overall numbers have also been strong. Tariq has taken 10 wickets in six matches at an average of 14.10 and an economy rate of 7.23. In his nine T20I appearances, he has claimed 18 wickets at an outstanding average of 11.16, including a hat-trick.

That record makes the Usman Tariq Pakistan snub an obvious talking point around the squad announcement.

The spinner has also added franchise experience since the World Cup, featuring in The Hundred, the T20 Blast and the Caribbean Premier League. Yet he will now watch the Sri Lanka series from the sidelines.

Pakistan will be led by Sahibzada Farhan, who captained the side at the Asian Games. Saim Ayub, Maaz Sadaqat, Sufiyan Muqeem, Abdul Samad, Abrar Ahmed, Arafat Minhas and Hasan Nawaz also retain their places from the continental campaign.

Fakhar Zaman, Shadab Khan and Salman Mirza return, while Mohammad Imran Randhawa and Razaullah receive their first T20I call-ups after making their Test debuts on the England tour.

Salman Ali Agha, Pakistan&rsquo;s regular captain and T20 World Cup skipper, has been left out. Khawaja Nafay replaces Usman Khan as wicketkeeper, while Naseem Shah also returns to the squad.

The Pakistan squad for Sri Lanka T20Is will begin its three-match series on October 9 at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. The second and third matches will follow on October 11 and 13 at the same venue.

For now, Tariq&rsquo;s Instagram message has added another layer to an already eye-catching squad selection.

Usman Tariq reacts to his Pakistan omission with a cryptic Instagram post after being  left out of the squad for the Sri Lanka T20I series.

Usman Tariq Posts Cryptic Message After Pakistan Squad Omission

DAMBULLA: The ongoing Pak women vs SL women bilateral series has seen Sri Lanka Women consolidate their absolute dominance on home soil, establishing an unassailable lead ahead of Tuesday&rsquo;s final T20 International at the Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium.&nbsp;

The defining narrative of this 2026 Pak women vs SL women showdown has been Sri Lanka&rsquo;s depth and explosive power at the crease colliding directly with Pakistan&#39;s persistent fielding and bowling frailties.&nbsp;

<h1>Lankan Skipper and Spinners Dominate ODIs</h1>

The ODI segment of the <a href="https://www.tapmad.com/shows/pakistan-women-tour-of-sri-lanka-2026/2680">Pak women vs SL women series</a> highlighted Sri Lanka&#39;s superior ability to manage pressure over fifty overs. Despite dropping the opening encounter to a disciplined Pakistan outfit, the hosts rebounded with consecutive eight-wicket victories to seal the format.&nbsp;

Harshitha Samarawickrama finished as the top run-scorer with 173. She found reliable support from young opener Vishmi Gunaratne, who accumulated 163 runs over the three matches.&nbsp;

Conversely, Pakistan&#39;s batting structure leaned heavily on Pakistan&#39;s true top performers Sidra Amin (157 runs) and Gull Feroza (145 runs). Sri Lankan off-spinner Kavisha Dilhari finished as the leading wicket-taker with 6 scalps.

<h2>Hosts Complete Back-to-Back Chases in T20I Leg</h2>

In the first T20I, Pakistan&rsquo;s batting unit showed significant improvement to post a highly competitive 175 runs. However, the score proved inadequate against a historic batting display from Sri Lanka&#39;s Imesha Dulani. The opening batter anchored the chase seamlessly, striking a magnificent, unbeaten 101 to become only the second Sri Lankan player to hit a T20I century, easily guiding her team to a six-wicket win.&nbsp;

The second T20I followed an identical script, exposing the core issues plaguing the Women in Green. Opting to bat first, Pakistan once again set a formidable target of 176 for 5. Opening batter Shawaal Zulfiqar anchored the top order with a steady 48 off 35 balls, while Muneeba Ali provided rapid acceleration with a 30-ball 45. Eyman Fatima provided late impetus, smashing an unbeaten 30 to give the bowlers a strong total to defend.&nbsp;

Sri Lanka cantered to the target with 14 balls to spare and six wickets in hand. Athapaththu set a devastating tone early, blasting 40 runs off just 15 deliveries after being dropped on 30.&nbsp;

Pakistan&rsquo;s fielding unravelled further under the lights, leaking crucial boundaries through misfields and dropping debutant Sanjana Kavindi twice. Kavindi heavily punished those defensive errors, smashing a powerful, unbeaten 46 off 24 balls, including consecutive sixes off Nashra Sandhu, to seal the player of the match honors and secure the T20I series trophy for Sri Lanka.

<h2>Summary of the 2026 Series Standings</h2>

<table cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse:collapse; width:601px">
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td style="border-bottom:1px solid #dcdfe5; vertical-align:top; width:96px">
			Format
			</td>
			<td style="border-bottom:1px solid #dcdfe5; vertical-align:top; width:121px">
			Sri Lanka Women
			</td>
			<td style="border-bottom:1px solid #dcdfe5; vertical-align:top; width:116px">
			Pakistan Women
			</td>
			<td style="border-bottom:1px solid #dcdfe5; vertical-align:top; width:268px">
			Series Status
			</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td style="border-bottom:1px solid #dcdfe5; border-top:1px solid #dcdfe5; vertical-align:top; width:96px">
			ODI Matches
			</td>
			<td style="border-bottom:1px solid #dcdfe5; border-top:1px solid #dcdfe5; vertical-align:top; width:121px">
			2 Wins
			</td>
			<td style="border-bottom:1px solid #dcdfe5; border-top:1px solid #dcdfe5; vertical-align:top; width:116px">
			1 Win
			</td>
			<td style="border-bottom:1px solid #dcdfe5; border-top:1px solid #dcdfe5; vertical-align:top; width:268px">
			Sri Lanka Won
			</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td style="border-top:1px solid #dcdfe5; vertical-align:top; width:96px">
			T20I Matches
			</td>
			<td style="border-top:1px solid #dcdfe5; vertical-align:top; width:121px">
			2 Wins
			</td>
			<td style="border-top:1px solid #dcdfe5; vertical-align:top; width:116px">
			0 Wins
			</td>
			<td style="border-top:1px solid #dcdfe5; vertical-align:top; width:268px">
			Sri Lanka Leads (Dead Rubber Remaining)
			</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

For Pakistan, Tuesday&#39;s final encounter in this Pak women vs SL women tour is no longer about a trophy but saving face and avoiding a complete T20I whitewash on Sri Lankan soil.

Sri Lanka look to complete a T20I sweep in the Pak women vs SL women final match as Pakistan fight to avoid a series whitewash in Dambulla.

Pak Women vs SL Women: Sri Lanka Seek Whitewash in Dambulla

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Pakistan Tour of Sri Lanka 2026

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