The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced a 17-member national squad for the upcoming T20 tri-series and Asia Cup, leaving out star players Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, and Naseem Shah.
Salman Ali Agha will continue to lead the team, which includes key players Fakhar Zaman, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf, Saim Ayub, Khushdil Shah, and Hussain Talat. The squad also features Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Mohammad Haris, Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Hasan Ali, Hasan Nawaz, Sahibzada Farhan, Salman Mirza, and Sufiyan Muqeem.
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The tri-series between Pakistan, Afghanistan, and the UAE will be held in Sharjah from August 29 to September 7. The Asia Cup is scheduled from September 9 to 28 in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. Pakistan’s first Asia Cup match will be against Oman on September 12, followed by a high-voltage clash against India on September 14.
Head coach Mike Hesson acknowledged the difficulty of dropping senior players. “Conditions in Sharjah are always challenging. We cannot take Afghanistan lightly. The tri-series will help us prepare for the Asia Cup,” he said. Hesson added that Babar was asked to improve in certain areas despite showing glimpses of form.
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Director of High Performance Aaqib Javed explained the decision further, noting that Saim, Fakhar, and Sahibzada Farhan had been consistent in the top order. “It is not fair to say that we are ruling out Babar and Rizwan based on two or three matches. Whoever performs well in the Big Bash will come back into the team,” he said, assuring that both senior players remain in contention for future T20 matches.
The PCB emphasized that the selection was based on current form and available options, not a permanent exclusion of senior players.
