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Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan Left Out as Pakistan Announce Asia Cup 2025 Squad
Pakistan have made a bold call ahead of the Asia Cup 2025, leaving out star batters Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan from their 17-member squad. The team will be led by Salman Agha, who continues in his leadership role after guiding the side in recent T20I series.
This decision signals a potential shift in Pakistan’s T20 strategy as the team builds towards the T20 World Cup 2026.
Pakistan Take Brave Call on Senior Players
A New Direction in Selection
Neither Babar nor Rizwan has been part of Pakistan’s recent T20I outings, including the home and away series against Bangladesh and the tour of the West Indies. Their omission from a major multi-nation tournament like the Asia Cup further indicates the selectors’ intent to back in-form players and experiment with a more aggressive batting approach.
Head coach Mike Hesson explained the decision, noting that while both players remain world-class, certain aspects of their T20 game need improvement.
“There’s no doubt Babar’s been asked to improve against spin and enhance his strike rate,” Hesson said. “He’s too good a player to ignore, but currently, the players we’ve selected have performed exceptionally well.”
He added that Sahibzada Farhan, who has already won three Player of the Match awards in just six T20Is, has been rewarded for his consistency.
Babar and Rizwan’s Recent Form
Despite their absence from international squads, both players enjoyed decent returns in the Pakistan Super League (PSL 2025).
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Babar Azam (Peshawar Zalmi): 288 runs at a strike rate of 128.57.
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Mohammad Rizwan (Multan Sultans): 367 runs at 139.54, including a century.
Their last T20I appearance came in December 2024, but selectors feel younger batters like Saim Ayub, Sahibzada Farhan, and Mohammad Haris offer more explosive options at the top.
Salman Agha to Lead in Asia Cup and Tri-Series
Leadership Continuity
Salman Agha, who was appointed captain earlier this year, will also lead Pakistan in the UAE tri-series against Afghanistan and hosts UAE ahead of the Asia Cup. This will be a key preparation ground for the young squad.
The 15 players who featured in the 2-1 series win over West Indies have been retained, with two new additions:
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Salman Mirza (left-arm seamer)
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Mohammad Wasim (allrounder)
Fakhar Zaman, who missed the West Indies series with a hamstring injury, has been declared fit and returns to the squad.
Pakistan’s Asia Cup 2025 Squad
Salman Agha (c), Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Hasan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Haris (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Wasim, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Mirza, Shaheen Afridi, Sufiyan Muqeem.
Pakistan will begin their Asia Cup campaign with a blockbuster clash against India on September 10 at the Dubai International Stadium.
➡️ For more updates on Pakistan cricket, check out our coverage of the Pakistan Super League.
A Bold Call Ahead of World Cup Preparations
The decision to leave out two of Pakistan’s most experienced campaigners may prove controversial, but it highlights a long-term strategy. By backing form players and promoting aggressive batting, selectors are clearly eyeing success in the T20 World Cup 2026.
As Pakistan prepare for their Asia Cup opener, the spotlight will remain on whether the new-look batting order can deliver under pressure.
For a complete breakdown of the Asia Cup schedule and squads, you can follow the official ICC website.
