RAWALPINDI: Pakistan captain Sahibzada Farhan hopes a new combination without star players Babar Azam and Shaheen Shah Afridi will come good against Sri Lanka in their Twenty20 International series starting in Rawalpindi on Friday.

The three-match series will see Farhan take on the skipper’s role after leading a second-string side to silver at the Asian Games in Japan, losing to India in the final last week.

Also missing from the squad are former T20I skipper Salman Agha and wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan, part of an exodus aimed at building the side for the 2028 T20I World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.

“I am confident that this new combination is the best and will settle in this series,” said Farhan on Thursday.

“I know how to lead the side and I will not take pressure.”

Azam’s form had dipped in T20Is, and he was also dropped from Pakistan’s final match against Sri Lanka at the Twenty20 World Cup in February.

Shaheen is also out of favor for T20Is but will skipper Pakistan’s one-day international side in a tri-series with Sri Lanka and England starting in Rawalpindi from October 18.

Sri Lanka are also in a transition phase with star leg-spinner Wanindu Hasaranga and former skipper Charith Asalanka dropped for the tour.

Hasaranga is joint-fifth in the all-time T20I wicket-taking list with 163 in 101 games.

“Unfortunately, Wanindu is still injured, and we will miss him but we have a few other exciting players who I am sure will stand up and perform,” said Sri Lankan skipper Kusal Mendis.

“I think everyone knows how to play in Pakistan,” said Mendis, who played in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) earlier this year.

“Pakistan also have some new faces but their players are good and we know some of them from the PSL, so I hope our players will do well.”

The remaining two matches are on October 11 and 13, also in Rawalpindi.