ISLAMABAD; The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Sunday announced the national T20 squad for the upcoming Asia Cup and a preparatory tri-nation series against Afghanistan and the United Arab Emirates, leaving out star batters Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan.
Both Azam and Rizwan, long considered mainstays of Pakistan’s T20 lineup, have not featured since December. Head coach Mike Hesson, speaking at a press conference, explained their absence by pointing to strong performances from other players in recent months.
“We know what a fine player Babar is,” Hesson said. “He has been asked to work on certain areas, particularly his strike rate and playing against spin, and he is putting in the effort. Meanwhile, the players currently in the squad are delivering and making a positive impact.”
Since Hesson’s appointment in May, Pakistan have played three T20 series — sweeping 3-0 at home, losing 2-1 away to Bangladesh, and edging out the West Indies 2-1 in the United States. “Our focus now is on winning the tri-series and the Asia Cup, with the goal of peaking at these major events,” the coach added.
The squad will be led by all-rounder Salman Agha, with pacers Mohammad Wasim and Salman Mirza recalled. Mirza, who claimed seven wickets against Bangladesh, was omitted for the West Indies tour but returns for this series. Fakhar Zaman also makes a comeback after missing the recent ODI series in the West Indies due to injury.
The tri-series begins on August 29, followed by the Asia Cup starting September 9. Both tournaments will be played in the UAE.
Pakistan 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.
