Pakistan’s national T20 squad has arrived in Dubai to prepare for the upcoming Asia Cup and the Tri-Nation series, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced on Wednesday.
The tri-series against Afghanistan and the United Arab Emirates begins on August 29, followed by the Asia Cup, which kicks off on September 9. Both tournaments will be held in the UAE.
According to the PCB, the team traveled in four groups “to ensure a smooth and organized arrival of players and support staff.” The squad will hold a training camp from August 21 to 27 and begin sessions at the ICC Cricket Academy tomorrow. A T20 practice match at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium is also part of the schedule.
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“All training sessions and practice matches will take place in Dubai,” state media PTV reported, adding that the setup has been designed to give players the best possible facilities ahead of the two major tournaments.
Notably, the squad does not include Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan, both of whom have been Pakistan’s star performers in T20s but have not featured since December. Head coach Mike Hesson said their absence is due to strong performances by other players in recent months.
Since Hesson took charge in May, Pakistan has won a home series 3-0, lost 2-1 away to Bangladesh, and defeated the West Indies 2-1 in the United States.
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All-rounder Salman Agha will lead the side, which also sees the return of fast bowlers Mohammad Wasim and Salman Mirza.
Pakistan T20 Squad: Salman Agha (captain), Saim Ayub, Fakhar Zaman, Sahibzada Farhan, Hasan Nawaz, Salman Mirza, Mohammad Haris, Mohammad Nawaz, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Hussain Talat, Sufiyan Muqeem, Abrar Ahmed, Khushdil Shah, Faheem Ashraf, Mohammad Wasim.
