Pakistan’s selectors have taken a bold step ahead of the Asia Cup 2025 in the UAE, leaving out stalwarts Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan from the T20I squad. Both players, once the bedrock of Pakistan’s batting, now find themselves on the outside as the team continues to overlook them in T20I setup.
Why are Babar, Rizwan not in squad?
Babar last featured in a T20I in December 2024 and had a disappointing run in the recent ODI series against West Indies, scoring 47, 0, and 9. Rizwan’s story has been similar, with his last meaningful T20I appearance coming months ago. While both found little to no success in domestic cricket and ODIs, the selectors have clearly made their statement.
No longer hero worshipping anymore. The squad sees the return of Fakhar Zaman, fit again after a hamstring injury suffered in the West Indies. Young guns Saim Ayub, Hasan Nawaz and Mohammad Haris are expected to shoulder more responsibility at the top and in the middle order, as Pakistan continue to invest in emerging talent. A more aggresive approach from Mike Hesson.
Meanwhile, there’s no room for Naseem Shah as well, with pace bowling unit comprising of Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf and Mohammad Waseem Jnr. Faheem Ashraf is also there as a pace-bowling all-rounder.
The 17-member squad will be captained by Salman Agha, who continues to gain trust as a steady leader. Pakistan will first contest a tri-series against Afghanistan and hosts UAE starting August 29 before turning attention to the Asia Cup, beginning September 9. They are placed in the group alongside India, UAE and Oman.
Pakistan squad for Asia Cup 2025
Salman Ali Agha (c), Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Hasan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Haris (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Waseem Jnr, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Mirza, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Sufyan Moqim.
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