Lahore, August 17, 2025 — In a surprising twist, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has named a 17-member squad for the upcoming UAE Tri-Series and the ACC Asia Cup 2025, excluding two of its most celebrated stars: Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan.
New Leadership and Emerging Talent
All-rounder Salman Ali Agha retains the captaincy, signaling trust in his leadership as the team embarks on these high-stakes tournaments. Veterans like Fakhar Zaman, who is returning from a hamstring injury, Shaheen Shah Afridi, and Haris Rauf bring experience and firepower.
At the same time, fresh faces like Saim Ayub, Khushdil Shah, Hussain Talat, and Hasan Nawaz have earned their spots, reflecting the selectors’ commitment to injecting youthful energy into the squad. Other components of the squad include Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Hasan Ali, Mohammad Haris (wicket-keeper), Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Waseem Jr, Sahibzada Farhan, Salman Mirza, and Sufyan Moqim.
Why Were Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan Left Out?
The omission of Babar and Rizwan has sparked extensive discussion across cricketing circles. PCB’s Director of High Performance, Aqib Javed, emphasized that this isn’t a permanent sidelining, stating that “if they perform like the others, they will definitely play T20Is again.”
Team head coach Mike Hesson added that Babar was simply “asked to improve in some areas” and that judging form based on a limited sample—like the West Indies series—can be challenging. Meanwhile, reports indicate the selectors are deliberately leaning toward more aggressive batting options—hence the inclusion of players like Saim Ayub, Sahibzada Farhan, and Fakhar Zaman.
Tournament Schedule: Build-Up to Asia Cup 2025
The squad will first compete in a triangular T20I series in Sharjah against Afghanistan and the UAE, running from August 29 to September 7.
Following that, Pakistan will launch its Asia Cup 2025 campaign in the UAE—from September 9 to 28—participating in Group A alongside India, Oman, and UAE.
Fast Facts: Pakistan’s Asia Cup Squad
Captain: Salman Ali Agha
Key Players: Fahkar Zaman, Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf
Promising Young Talent: Saim Ayub, Khushdil Shah, Hasan Nawaz
Full Squad: 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 Jr, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Mirza, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufyan Moqim
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