The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced a 17-member squad for the upcoming UAE tri-series and Asia Cup 2025, notably excluding star players Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan. All-rounder Salman Ali Agha has been retained as captain. Other senior players like Fakhar Zaman, Shaheen Shah Afridi, and Haris Rauf are part of the squad, while youngsters including Saim Ayub and Hasan Nawaz have also made the cut.
During a press conference, PCB’s Director High Performance Aqib Javed emphasized that selections are based on recent performances. He stated that while Babar and Rizwan are not included for now, they still have opportunities to return if they perform well in upcoming leagues. The squad shows continuity from the previous series, which the board believes is crucial for building a consistent T20 team.
Javed highlighted the strong performances of players like Salman Mirza and Sahibzada Farhan, who earned their spots through domestic and international showings. He made it clear that selections are merit-based, saying, “The player who performs will play.” Pakistan’s white-ball head coach Mike Hesson also mentioned that Babar was advised to improve in certain areas, though he performed well in the West Indies series opener.
The UAE tri-series will be held in Sharjah from August 29 to September 7 and features Pakistan, Afghanistan, and hosts UAE. The Asia Cup will follow from September 9 to 28 in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, including teams like India, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka. The PCB hopes this young and energetic squad will deliver strong performances in both events.
17-member squad: Salman Ali 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, Sufyan Moqim
UAE Tri-Series Schedule
- Aug 29: Afghanistan vs Pakistan
- Aug 30: UAE vs Pakistan
- Sep 1: UAE vs Afghanistan
- Sep 2: Pakistan vs Afghanistan
- Sep 4: Pakistan vs UAE
- Sep 5: Afghanistan vs UAE
- Sep 7: Final
Asia Cup 2025 Fixtures
- Sep 9: Afghanistan vs Hong Kong
- Sep 10: India vs UAE
- Sep 11: Bangladesh vs Hong Kong
- Sep 12: Pakistan vs Oman
- Sep 13: Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka
- Sep 14: India vs Pakistan
- Sep 15: UAE vs Oman & Sri Lanka vs Hong Kong
- Sep 16: Bangladesh vs Afghanistan
- Sep 17: Pakistan vs UAE
- Sep 18: Sri Lanka vs Afghanistan
- Sep 19: India vs Oman
Super Four Stage
- Sep 20: B1 vs B2
- Sep 21: A1 vs A2
- Sep 23: A2 vs B1
- Sep 24: A1 vs B2
- Sep 25: A2 vs B2
- Sep 26: A1 vs B1
- Sep 28: Final