LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has unveiled a 17-member squad for the upcoming Asia Cup and the tri-series in the UAE, leaving out former captains Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan. Salman Agha will lead the squad for both the series, which will take place from August 29 to September 7 in Sharjah and the Asia Cup in Abu Dhabi and Dubai from September 9 to 28.
Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan, both excluded from the T20I squad for the second consecutive time, were also omitted from the T20I leg of the West Indies tour earlier this month. Despite their absence from recent T20I matches, including a loss in the West Indies series, PCB selectors have assured that the duo’s return is not ruled out. Aqib Javed, Chief Selector, emphasized that selection is based on recent performance, and discussions have taken place with both players regarding areas of improvement.
The squad features notable players like Shaheen Shah Afridi and Fakhar Zaman, who returns after recovering from a hamstring injury. Emerging talents Saim Ayub and Sahibzada Farhan have also retained their spots, having shown significant progress. Head coach Mike Hesson expressed satisfaction with the team’s recent form, highlighting the squad’s performance in their last nine T20 matches, six of which were victories.
Pakistan’s Asia Cup journey begins on September 12 against Oman in Dubai, followed by a high-profile match against India on September 14.
The full squad includes:
Salman Agha (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Hasan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Haris (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Mirza, Shaheen Shah Afridi, and Sufyan Moqim.
