Asia Cup 2025: Pakistan announce squad for marquee event, Still no place for Babar, Rizwan

On Sunday, August 17, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced a 17-man squad for the impending tri-series in Sharjah and the subsequent Asia Cup. Salman Ali Agha will continue leading the side after recently guiding the Men in Green to a 2-1 win in a three-match T20I series against the West Indies in the Caribbean.

Interestingly, the experienced duo of Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam didn't get called up. Neither of them has represented Pakistan in T20I cricket since the series against South Africa in December 2024.

Pakistan's squad has a fine mix of youth and experience. Youngsters like Saim Ayub and Sahibzada Farhan will form an aggressive opening pair, while the in-form Hasan Nawaz will be a player to watch out for in the middle-order.

The seam-bowling department has a lot of experience, with the likes of Shaheen Shah Afridi, Hasan Ali, and Haris Rauf in the mix. Mohammad Nawaz, Sufyan Moqim, and Abrar Ahmed are expected to play a key role with their bowling abilities on the pitches in the UAE, which could be conducive to spin-bowling.

Ahead of the Asia Cup, which will be played in the T20 format, Pakistan will travel to Sharjah to face Afghanistan and the UAE in a tri-series from August 29 to September 7. All the matches will be held at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium.

After the tri-series, Pakistan will begin their Asia Cup campaign on September 12, when they face Oman at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. Pakistan's next game will be a blockbuster as they are set to face arch-rivals India at the same venue on September 14. The two-time champions will end their group-stage campaign on September 17 with a clash against the UAE.

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Pakistan's squad for tri-series and Asia Cup: Salman Ali (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, Sufyan Moqim.