Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan have been dropped as the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) named a 17-member squad for the upcoming UAE T20 Tri-Series and the Asia Cup 2025. Salman Ali Agha will lead Pakistan in his first major assignment since taking up the captaincy reins.
Both Babar and Rizwan have not been part of Pakistan’s T20 setup since December last year, when they played against South Africa. Pakistan’s new head coach, Mike Hesson, attributed their omission to a low strike rate.
Apart from Babar and Rizwan, Naseem Shah, who is currently playing in the Caribbean Premier League, has also been left out.
“Babar Azam is asked to improve in certain areas… like playing against spin and improving his strike rate,” said Pakistan’s white-ball head coach Mike Hesson.
The highest wicket-taker of the Pakistan Super League 2025, Shaheen Shah Afridi, has been included along with Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, and young Salman Mirza.
Returning to the team are Fakhar Zaman and Mohammad Wasim Jr. Fakhar, who suffered a hamstring injury, has been included in the squad. Having recovered from a side strain, Wasim also makes a return after missing the last two series against Bangladesh and the West Indies. The right-arm pacer passed his fitness test at the National Cricket Academy in Lahore.
Pakistan have entrusted young players like Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, and Hasan Nawaz to deliver in the continental tournament.
“Our current squad is performing really well. Sahibzada Farhan, for example, has played six matches and earned three Player of the Match awards. Saim and Fakhar have also been impressive. What we want are players who can deliver with real impact,” said Hesson.
Mohammad Haris is the designated wicket-keeper batter in the squad, with Farhan also serving as an alternative keeping option.
Among the all-round options, Pakistan have picked Faheem Ashraf, Mohammad Nawaz, Hussain Talat, and Khushdil Shah. Abrar Ahmed and Sufiyan Muqeem are the two specialist spinners in a pace-heavy squad.
Pakistan squad for Tri-Series and Asia Cup 2025:
Salman Ali Agha (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Hasan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Haris (wicket-keeper), Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Wasim Jr., Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Mirza, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufiyan Muqeem.
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